After Dusk
by Dante Kreisler
Summary: Son of a top courtesan. Flashy in appearance. Pickpocket. Disenchanted by the reality of living a second life. Self-Insert OC.
1. A Curious Child

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Looking down at the wrapped baby in her arms, Yeri knew that she was taking a risk. She was a popular oiran of a renowned, expensive brothel, someone like her couldn't afford to spend time raising a child. At the time, bearing a child seemed like a good idea. Some of her fellow courtesans were talking about how if they were to ever fall pregnant and choose to carry on and give birth, they could possibly be allowed to take some time off of their work. Yeri had seriously played with the idea and even purposely missed one of her contraceptive teas before taking in a customer, and unfortunately actually ended up pregnant. With some more pondering, the idea of rearing a child of her own grew more and more of an interesting prospect.

As her belly painfully swelled to the size of a huge melon, she would wonder. Would the child look like her? Would it be a girl or a boy? What would it grow up to be? Was she capable of taking care of another human being? What could she teach it?

With some discussion with her fellow peers and head matron, Yeri was allowed to keep the fetus if she promised to return to her courtesan duties once the child was old enough to take care of itself. This decision was only possible because Yeri had proven herself to be an invaluable asset to the brothel, but it was also because the brothel itself was one tight family. In their line of business, especially for one as successful as their own, they had to protect each other to sustain a living. Of course, they weren't exactly pleased with the situation, however they begrudgingly accepted to deal with it.

She gazed down at her fair-skinned baby, a tuft of silky wine colored hair above the forehead. Luckily, it was a boy. If it had been a girl, Yeri would have feared of subjecting the baby a fate of prostitution, but that wouldn't be the case.

"You were born out of curiosity," she whispered to it, almost lovingly. She wouldn't lie that even with some misgivings, the painful childbirth had a lasting effect on how she felt towards her own baby.

"You're a curious child," Yeri said as she watched a tiny hand automatically curl around her pinky.

And he was a curious child indeed. The baby grew up to be quite a peculiar. There were the standard sleepless nights of shrill baby cries for at least six months, but the strange changes occurred once he turned one year old. He suddenly turned quiet and when his personality began developing, Yeri learned that he was naturally taciturn.

However, despite his reserved disposition, he was a quick learner, picking up speech and movement at an abnormally fast pace, and exceptionally perceptive for all of his toddler years. By the age of two, Yeri was able to detect an undercurrent of awareness behind his empty hazel eyes. He understood directions and orders, knew when to speak up and when to be silent, and even discerned the difference between obedience and submissiveness. What everyone expected to be four years of difficult child rearing before they could leave him to his own devices, turned out to be three years of the most passive babysitting experience ever.

Though Yeri would have complained about the shortened time off of being a courtesan of three years instead of four, she was rather profoundly delighted with her son. She knew she had been blessed with a miracle child. Initially, he had posed some headaches with his intelligence, but with every passing year, her son proved to be much more capable in almost everything he came around. He caught on social dynamics, knowing how to talk to people and getting his way. He learned how to read and write at an abnormally fast pace. He had an ear and talent for music and easily picked up koto after several informal lessons with the most skilled koto playing courtesan of their brothel. Yeri knew he could sing well, too, but rarely allowed people to hear him sing, which was a true pity.

Considering how he took after her looks of sharp hazel eyes and obnoxious wine colored hair, Yeri sometimes thought that perhaps he would have turned out okay if he were a female. He certainly would have been the perfect courtesan with all of his intellect, talents and looks.

Sometimes, Yeri couldn't help but think that her son was certainly meant for something greater. Yeri knew her place in this life. As celebrated as she was as an oiran, children of paid service in this business rarely amounted to anything in their society. They were usually ridiculed and casted aside as unwanted products of a paid physical intimacy, but maybe that wouldn't be the case for her son. Courtesans were known for their exotic hair colors, so people would know that he was born of one, which would inevitably cast some prejudgement upon him, but Yeri knew that her son rarely listened to others' opinions except to those he cared about. From the moment he was born, he had not only claimed her heart as a toddler, but also all of the people in the brothel. Everyone who knew him hailed the boy as a special child.

Seven years had already gone by since her conception. Yeri had returned to her job with much struggle since post-pregnancy weight had been difficult to shed, but it was done. Luckily, her patrons had eagerly awaited her return, so her list of clients stayed steady. The only downside of returning to being an oiran was that her son wasn't allowed to show his face when she was working; men often found a sour taste in their mouth when they see that their oiran had a child running around.

Taking a break in their private room, Yeri watched her son weave a simple, yet eye-catching, design of a bracelet made of dyed strings that were excess fabric looms usually thrown away by the brothel. When her son had discovered the materials, he had almost immediately woven together a bracelet out of the seemingless useless strings by utilizing unique knots. Passing merchants had realized their commodity potential and demanded for more when they saw the first couple of finished products. Regular citizens of Kouka couldn't always afford the pricey jeweled metal bracelets, but could drop a coin or two for colorful, prettily knotted bands. With the bracelets selling well on the street markets, he was barely seven years old and already contributing to the brothel's revenue. He had taught several other workers how to make them to keep up with the demand. Her son had a knack of changing the environment around him, she had noticed.

Two weeks ago, he had unknowingly created a hair fashion rage when Yeri allowed him to play with her hair one morning and formed a beautiful interwoven braid with her long purple hair. Later that day, her fellow courtesans had demanded who had done her hair before finding out that a mere young boy had done it. And the year before, when business wasn't streaming as readily compared to previous years, he had quietly suggested to her that the brothel should move from their old spot in southern Kuuto to their current location in the renovated west district. Yeri understood that her son had seen a shift of economy flow within Kuuto and listened to his words. With some gentle persuading of the head matron and frugal money spending, the brothel was able to purchase a finer establishment of much better quality compared to their previous premise. The revitalizing west district quickly proved to be the perfect change of environment for their brothel as more patrons were attempting to pursue their courtesans. Their brothel had also been recently given the honor of leading the district's festival parade for the upcoming spring celebration, a huge responsibility full of prestige. Whereas their pleasure and entertainment house had been popular before in the south, they were now gaining public recognition as one of the highest class of oirans in all of Kuuto.

Witnessing her son's brain at work, Yeri suspected that with time, the brothel, the west district, Kuuto would become too small of a world for someone like him. His mind worked differently. Other people would worry about themselves, about earning money, bringing food to the table, sex, their love life, clothes, but her son thought of the world. He would describe the elements to an unnerving level of detail, explain weather phenomenons as though he could see past the heavens, discuss science beyond his age and discovery, question morals until right seems wrong and wrong seems right, examine human behavior so one would feel reduced to the mentality of a child, challenge the expectations of society that everyone else simply accept, and more. He could build objects and tools, some useless, some pretty, some genius, using leftover materials with his small yet nimble hands.

His mind saw how the world worked.

Yeri adored her son. Yeri loved his reticent nature, how he fiercely cared for not just her but also her fellow workers in the brothel, his curious mind, how he was so humble, his gentle hands when he braided her hair, and how he tried so hard to be mature. He was her precious pride and star. She named him Takumi, her skilled little artist. In her eyes, he was her most precious gem, the best gift she could have ever received, and she treasured him to the point of death, but Yeri was aware that she wouldn't be able to keep him confined in the brothel forever. Takumi was meant for something greater. He wasn't a pretty bird just for show to be kept locked up, he would have to leave his cage one day. Until then, Yeri would treasure Takumi like no other.

"Takumi."

Pausing in the middle of weaving, her son raised his small head with a questioning look in his hazel eyes. "Hm?"

Yeri beamed her brightest smile full of tenderness at him. "I love you!"

To her delight, pink dusted Takumi's cheeks as he looked away with a faintly irritated expression on his cute face.

"Love you too," he murmured as he resumed weaving. Takumi wasn't one to express his affection through words, so he got flustered when she said things like that to him out of nowhere. However, his content smile showed that he wasn't bothered by Yeri's random declaration of love.

Yeri shook her head, chuckling at the endearing reaction.

He's a curious child.


	2. The Search for a Red-Haired Girl

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"Takumi! Where are you?!"

A boy with ink-black hair popped up behind a stack of clothing. "Nana, what's up?"

His caller, Nana, one of the older servant girls of the brothel asked, "Didn't you just roam around our district?"

"Yeah, why?"

Nana pointed at the woman behind her at the backdoor entrance, Takumi recognized her as someone who worked in the east district's brothel. Being at opposite sides of Kuuto, the west and east district's brothel had a friendly rivalry of which house could attract the most visitors.

The brown-haired woman had a practiced flirty tone in her voice as she spoke, an unintentional inflection due to her occupation. "Ogi organized a search party, we're looking for a young girl with shoulder length, red, curly hair, wearing a peach kimino, and large, cute eyes. She got lost in the upper east side district, we suspect a kidnapping by an illegal underground Kai trade."

 _Princess Yona._

Ever since he had been reborn, Takumi had known that he was living in Kuuto, the capital city of the Kingdom of Kouka, where the brilliant red Hiryuu Castle was nestled above their town. He had known and suspected of the timeline of when he lived, because everyone knew that it was currently Emperor Il who held the throne, the second son of Emperor Joo-Nam and younger brother of the famous Sky General Yu-Hon. He knew that the pacifist emperor had a daughter, rumored to be spoiled. Takumi had come to terms with facing his new reality, accepting it, and deciding that he'd do the best of what he had in this life. It's been eleven years now, he was getting used to it.

But he hadn't prepared himself to be part of _this_.

If Takumi hadn't practiced schooling his facial expressions everyday, he would have blanched in shock at the description. Instead, he tilted his head curiously.

"Illegal underground Kai trade? Is that why kids have been disappearing recently?"

The woman nodded, a serious face contrasting against her airy tone. Human trafficking. So that's why Yeri had been so adamant in him coming home before sun down. However, if a child was kidnapped in broad daylight, that meant the kidnappers must be feeling more bold which was significantly more dangerous. It would mean that there was no time when a kid was safe out in public in Kuuto.

"We're checking if she's been spotted around your area, the west district," she said. "A shopkeeper said he saw a large, tanned man carrying the girl somewhere."

Takumi shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I was out all day in the west area and just came in, but I haven't seen a little girl like that around here."

"Have you gone through the back alleys?"

Takumi raised a brow at the astute question. Ogi's network was as tight and sharp as ever. "No, didn't walk through them today, there's a lot of them."

The brunette sighed. "Oh dear, we already don't have that much time left. Do you know anyone who knows the west alleys well enough?"

Nana, who had been listening the entire time, spoke up. "Takumi knows the west district blindfolded and gets around fast, he can help you."

Seeing the boy's slightly pinched face at being unwillingly volunteered, she added, "Don't worry about angering Yeri, just be quick about it and come back within one hour. Besides, a little girl's life is at stake right now."

Not just any girl, Takumi thought. The princess of Kouka. The reincarnation of King Hiryuu from the legends. A girl who was betrayed and sought the power of the four dragons. He distantly remembered that there had been a storyline dedicated to Yona's brief kidnapping episode when she was a young child, but didn't mini-Hak and mini-Soo-Won manage to find her in the end? They wouldn't really need additional help, would they?

"Please," the brunette pleaded. Takumi let out a small sigh. It wasn't like he could turn down the plea of help anyway, additional assistance wasn't going to hurt anyone.

"Okay," he agreed somewhat reluctantly. "Do you want to wait here until I'm done checking every back alley?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I have to talk to several other people. Once you're done, could you run to the east district and get whatever information you can gather to Ogi as soon as possible? We want to narrow down which districts the kidnapper might be in."

Inwardly, Takumi groaned at the extra responsibility, but accepted her words without complaint. "Guess I'll be back in one hour," he said to Nana who waved him off. He went out the backdoor and split to a different direction from the brunette, heading for the nearest back alley. As he quickly walked through the narrow pathway, he called out to the people leaning against the walls.

"Have you guys seen a large tanned man, or a little girl with red hair wearing a peach kimino? Ogi's looking for her, suspecting it to be a kidnapping," Takumi shouted with his child voice. Though the people appeared to be of the shady bunch, the light in their eyes softened when they recognized the boy, but sharpened when they heard him mention Ogi, the face of the east district's underside society.

"Nah, kid, saw nothing like that here," one yelled back.

Another responded, "If we do, we'll let Ogi know!"

"Thank you!" Takumi cheerily replied and waved good-bye.

He navigated to the next back alley, visualizing a map in his mind and planning the order of alleys he was going to visit. After seeing how the second alley was empty, Takumi climbed a wall and hopped on a roof. Kuuto's architecture of triangular rooftops with a narrow strip running in the middle formed crude course in which he could traverse the town without having to go through foot traffic. Though it could be faster to ask people to help him, Takumi knew that it'd be more efficient if he ran around by himself on the rooftops. He would be able to cover more ground and could even see people from above to check for the princess, almost killing two birds with one stone.

He repeated the question every time he came across people loitering around the back alleys, and they all repeated the same answer. None of them had ever see a little red-haired girl all day. Gathering that the west district was clear of the kidnapper, Takumi nimbly hopped from rooftop to rooftop towards the east district, watching his step and being careful from slipping. He had nearly broken a bone when he had last tripped on the rooftop and thankfully ended up with a bad bruise and cut on his elbow instead. The scolding Yeri had given though afterwards was scary.

The bright afternoon was slowly growing more dim with every passing minute, and Takumi managed to ask the guards at the west exit his question before finishing his sweep of the entire district. He left the west district and came at an intersection between the west and south side when someone shouted below him.

"Oi, Takumi!"

The boy skidded to stop on the roof and crouched, seeing the familiar butcher from the south standing at the street.

"Mr. Nam?"

"Are you going east?"

Takumi jumped down. "Yeah, why?"

"Could you deliver a message to Ogi for me?"

Takumi resigned himself to being a messenger, it was what people around Kuuto often used him for anyway. "Yeah, I was about to head there right now, actually."

The man brightened. "Searching for the girl, right? You must have checked the west end then, because I was told that the north and south haven't seen the girl or suspected kidnapper at all. Since you jump on the roofs, you'd be faster at letting Ogi know."

Takumi nodded in understanding and climbed back up onto the roofs, using windows as leverages. "Got it, thank you for the information."

The butcher gave him a thumbs-up before watching Takumi run off.

With the shortcut Kuuto's rooftops allowed him, Takumi arrived at the east side in record time. He was slightly out of breath from the nonstop running and was getting tired. He took a pit stop behind a tall column, trying to catch his breath while searching for Ogi in the bustling crowd beneath him. If he couldn't spot the old man, he'd have to grab someone and impart the information instead. Takumi was about to give up looking for Ogi, when his hazel eyes luckily found the man leaning against a stone rail over a small bridge. Jumping onto the building overshadowing the bridge, he swung upside-down, hanging off a roof ledge nearby and startling the people around him but paid them no mind.

"Yo, geezer," Takumi greeted informally.

Ogi recognized the rude voice and turned around with a frown on his face. "What're you doing here, kid? Yeri will yell at you if you're out this late."

"I heard you were searching for a girl," Takumi said, ignoring Ogi's words to his annoyance. "A woman came by asking for our help, I checked all of the west district's back alleys and asked around, but no one saw a tanned man or a red-haired little girl all day. Also, Mr. Nam, the butcher from the south side, told me to tell you that the same goes for the north and south districts, they haven't seen anyone resembling the girl or the kidnapper."

"So she must be still around the east district!" A young voice piped up from the other side of Ogi. Takumi leaned to the side and had to prevent his heart from stopping. It was a light-haired kid, who looked younger than himself, with green eyes and an open, kind face. Soo-Won. Takumi flipped over and landed on the bridge with acrobatic ease. Sitting on the stone rail, he blew a sweaty chunk of hair out of his eyes and tried his best to ignore the other kid as he watched Ogi bring a hand to the stubble at his chin, thoughtful of the new information.

The other kid softly asked, "Ogi-san, between the eastern upper district and other districts, can you create a blockade at the gate and communication passageway for a little while?"

Takumi stayed silent as Ogi pondered at the request. "A blockade...that's going to be complicated, especially the procedure."

"You can't do it?" The innocently posed question made Ogi pause and Takumi knew that the man had detected the underlying challenge.

Ogi grumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Who do you think I am? Wait a bit, I'll talk to some people. It'll be quick. You, Taku, follow me."

Ogi pointed at Takumi, and the latter rolled his head back and sighed. Just when he thought he was going to get some rest, Takumi knew that Ogi was going to send him as a messenger. The other kid glanced at Takumi with curiosity at how the boy, a little older than himself, could help Ogi with the blockade.

"I'm gonna need you to tell the guards at the district crossroad about forming a temporary blockade at the end of the east district," Ogi explained. "Say that there's been a child kidnapping and we know for sure that the kidnapper hasn't left the east district yet, so we have a good chance of finding the kid as long as they do a casual luggage check. And if the guards don't listen to you, then ask the street vendors to form the blockade. I'll send people there after you so that they could look for a dark-skinned man if the guards don't."

"Yes, yes," Takumi droned as he patted down his tunic. It seemed that he was going to be out for longer than an hour today. If Yeri was going to yell at him later, Takumi planned on blaming Nana for sending him on this wild messenger business and goose chase. He looked up and saw that Ogi was staring down at him. "What?"

"You look tired," he commented. Takumi stared back without humor.

"I did check every west back alley and run from the west of Kuuto to the east," he said dryly. And on top of that, Yeri was going to nag him when this was all over.

"Sorry for pushing you," Ogi said. "I just can't be outdone by _that_ kid."

Takumi cast a discreet glance at who Ogi was referring to. "He sure has you wrapped around his finger."

Ogi sputtered indignation, but failed to argue with Takumi who was already climbing up the walls and began running on the rooftops. The end of the east district wasn't too far off. Once he was right above the district crossroads, Takumi slid down the roof and landed on his feet not too far away from a surprised Sky Tribe guard he recognized. It was Min-Gi, a friendly soldier who Takumi was loosely acquainted with.

"Takumi? What are you doing here at this time? Won't Yeri have a fit?"

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Could everyone _please_ stop saying that," he grumbled. "Nevermind that, Min-Gi, I have something to tell you…"

The boy quickly rattled off the entire story about the missing girl, the suspected kidnapper, and Ogi's instructions for a blockade. They were fortunate that Min-Gi was among the district guards today, he was likable and reasonable and would be willing to help them search for the missing girl. In no time, Min-Gi was able to relay this to his fellow soldiers and a blockade between the end of the east district and all other districts was easily formed. Once a crowd began to form and other people had taken up the responsibility of searching, Takumi stepped back from the process and watched from afar to settle as a look-out, lying against a roof-tile.

Large, dark-skinned man, Takumi silently chanted as he cast a discerning eye across the increasingly dense throng of people waiting for their turn of luggage inspection before they could be allowed to leave the east district. Though he had gone through a lot of trouble helping Ogi and was in due for a lecture from Yeri, Takumi wouldn't lie that he wasn't excited for what was about to happen. It had been a while since the townspeople of Kuuto had carried out an operation like this and according to his memories, some interesting figures were going to show up also. He could see the Earth Tribe's general waiting in line from here and a certain frustrated Captain of the Imperial Guard who was marching around with a squad following him. From the corner of his eye, Takumi made out a small child dressed in the Wind Tribe weaving through the human traffic, presumably searching for a large, dark-skinned man.

Takumi cradled his head on a hand, elbow resting against a knee, as he prepared himself to watch the predicted ensuing dramatic rescue of a princess.

Except. It never came.

Unease rocked inside Takumi's stomach as he saw the Wind Tribe boy bump into General Geun-Tae and then subsequently get caught by a seething Captain Joo-Doh and an angry grandfather, General Mun-Deok, who had appeared out of nowhere. Hak was getting dragged away from the east district and all Takumi could think was that _this was all wrong_. Wasn't there supposed to be another large, dark-skinned man hauling a cart within the vicinity? Wasn't little Hak supposed to catch him? Why wasn't a rescue happening? Why was there no kidnapper in sight?

 _Something was different than the original story._

Fear tugged at his heart as Takumi squinted across the entire upper eastern district until he found one bumbling dark-skinned man, accompanied by another person, frantically dragging a cart away from the inspection blockade. The kidnappers were great lengths away from little Hak, how did that man get all the over there?

Unless...unless word got out that there was a luggage inspection, and the man immediately turned around to try and find another way out of the district. Takumi clenched his teeth. Was this because of him? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Takumi watched the growing dilemma with conflicted eyes as Hak fought with his guardian captors, probably to try and explain the situation of the missing princess. Takumi wasn't one to engage in anything deemed troublesome, but...

"Hey!" Takumi shouted down to the imposing group comprised of two generals, a captain, and future general. The four looked up at the cry, along with several others, to see him standing on the nearby building's rooftop.

Making direct eye contact with the Wind General's adopted grandson, Takumi pointed across the district and yelled, "I saw him, a dark-skinned guy wheeling a cart with a sack in it! Down the opposite direction!"

Despite not knowing Takumi, the jet-black haired boy immediately understood and slipped out of his grandfather's grasp, bolting down the street with the Earth general, Imperial guards, and Wind general chasing after him. Takumi trailed them from above, praying that all would go well. As they gained distance, Takumi noticed the kidnapper and his accomplice taking a turn into a more secluded road.

"Turn right!" He directed them from behind. Since he was hurdling over the buildings, Takumi reached their targets before the others. Taking a running leap, he jumped off a rooftop and landed in front of the dark-skinned man and his partner, blocking their way.

"Get out of the wa-"

Little Hak came up from behind the kidnappers, jumped onto the cart, and without hesitation, ripped into the sack large enough to carry a small child. From his point of view, Takumi could make out a little girl with red hair emerging out of the loose cloth bag, beginning to wake from the disturbance.

"H-hey, what're you-"

Although Hak was definitely younger than him, Takumi felt a chill run down his spine when the younger boy spoke up with a voice laced with fury. "You can't take this luggage."

Unnerved at being discovered, the tanned man faced Hak in the cart and pulled out a sheathed knife from his robe while the other attempted to flee past Takumi. Leaving the armed one to Hak, Takumi chased after the accomplice, tackling him to the ground. A boy's strength was no match for a grown adult in the end, so when the man wouldn't stay still, Takumi's leg shot up and squarely kicked him in the groin. Frozen by the indescribable pain, the accomplice lifelessly crumpled without a fight.

Someone whistled behind him. "Kid, that was too brutal."

"He aided in a child kidnapping," Takumi replied without inflection.

General Geun-Tae nodded agreeably. "True, true," he acknowledged as they both turned around and saw that the chase had garnered quite a crowd. There was the unconscious kidnapper lying facedown on the ground with a cranky Wind Tribe general berating his adopted grandson, Soo-Won being lectured by a captain whose blood pressure seemed to be rising every second. Ogi was in the distance, dumbfounded at the number of high-ranking figures gathered in one area. After both criminals were bound by sturdy ropes, Takumi went over to the worn out man.

"You look like you aged ten years," Takumi said. Ogi lifted a hand to his scruffy face and rubbed his eyes, sighing deeply.

"When was the last time we had to do something like this?" Ogi asked, his voice muffled by a hand.

Takumi's shoulders sagged. "Don't know, but I hope it doesn't happen again. I'm beat from all that running."

Ogi patted his head. "You did good today, Taku."

Surveying the hidden relief behind the gazes of General Mun-Deok and Captain Joo-Doh, Takumi nodded. The group of important people were about to leave when they first approached the two.

"We're terribly sorry for the commotion we have burdened you with," Captain Joo-Doh said as he forced Soo-Won's head down. General Mun-Deok repeated the words and gesture with Hak while carrying the red-haired girl in another arm. Ogi looked like he was about to faint from the attention and managed to stutter a reply of how it was nothing.

"Thank you."

Takumi slid his gaze over a smiling Soo-Won and inwardly stiffened. He was maybe two or three years younger and his clear green eyes were nothing but inviting and warm. Takumi absentmindedly wondered how could this kid grow up to usurp the throne and crush his two closest friends in the process. It was a frightening thought.

Takumi echoed Ogi's sentiments, "It was nothing."

Suddenly, the young Soo-Won got excited and his eyes sparkled in admiration. "No it was more than that, you were amazing! You were on the rooftops, sending messages to everyone, chased after the bad guys, and even helped bring down-"

Takumi covered the kid's chatter with a hand. "Okay, okay, thanks," he said tiredly. It seemed that an excited Soo-Won equaled excited babbling.

Hand muffling his voice, the light-haired boy curiously asked, "Are you Mr. Ogi's son?"

At the random question, Ogi sputtered next to Takumi who wrinkled his nose at the notion of being related to the unkempt alcoholic.

Ogi distractedly thought of Takumi's mother, Yeri, and muttered, "Actually, that wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

"My mom is a million times out of your league, you old geezer," Takumi wryly declared. The 'face' of the east district's underside scowled at him. Feeling little-Hak's piercing gaze on him, Takumi avoided looking that way as Ogi tried to bring up reasons why he wouldn't be that terrible as a relative.

Not fully understanding who they were talking about, Soo-Won looked up where Yona clung to the Wind Tribe general and exclaimed, "Yona! He helped us save you!"

Takumi cautiously took a look at the red-haired girl. The princess was cute with her large violet eyes, naive expression, and short red-hair. She gazed curiously down at Takumi with slightly fearful eyes, no doubt traumatized by the unpleasant day.

Takumi asked gently, "Hi, are you feeling better?"

Searching for signs of malice in the boy's hazel eyes and finding none, Yona's head bobbed forward.

Cute, Takumi thought fondly and smiled at her. He was usually surrounded by older women, being raised in a brothel, but it had been awhile since he had met another girl younger than him.

At the thought of the brothel, he then remembered how more than an hour had passed and that he should be home.

"Oh shit."

Yeri was going to kill him.

The surrounding adults gaped at the rough language, Soo-Won and Hak's eyes grew large, Ogi yelped out an apology and the tiny princess tilted her head, confused at everyone's reactions.

Takumi backed up, panic tinging his voice as he said, "Sorry, I gotta get home", and leaped for nearest crate as a jumping platform.

Ogi yelled in despair, "Taku! Get back here and apologize!"

"No," he carelessly called out in response and promptly exited out of hearing distance, though he could hear a certain Earth Tribe general loudly laughing.

When Takumi he got home, he mentally lamented at the sight of a fuming Yeri at the backdoor entrance of the brothel, a sheepish Nana standing behind her.

"Get in," she said stiffly when he hopped down from the roof. "You have a lot of explaining to do over dinner."

"Yes ma'am," he said respectfully, fearing today's dinner.

The beautiful woman's hazel eyes inspected him. "You're sweating. Give Nana your shirt so she can clean it as you can wash up before sitting at the table."

"Yes ma'am." Guessing that it was the servant girl's punishment, Takumi pulled off his tunic and handed it to Nana's outstretched hand, she murmured a weak apology before pausing at the shirt in her hand.

"Oh dear, Takumi, you didn't completely let the ink dry this morning," she tutted as she ran a finger over the black stains on the collar of the tunic. Takumi ran a hand through his hair and made a small grimace when it came away slightly smudged with black ink.

"Do another lather of ink and permanent solution as you wash up, wrap your hair in a throwaway towel," Yeri ordered. Takumi bobbed his head as he continued checking his hair for more wet ink spots. Following his mother and Nana into the large house, he went to the inner baths and grabbed the two needed ingredients for his hair dye along the way. No one minded his half-dressed state, nudity wasn't something to be abashed about in a brothel.

Being careful to not get his pants wet, Takumi bent at a ninety degree angle over a drain and used a wooden hand bowel to splash water on his torso and back. In his hands, he then mixed in his hands a couple drops of black ink and a generous amount of hair dye liquid made of a special mix of crushed black walnut shells, tree sap, some ground herbs, and a sour solution. Making sure that the mixture was thoroughly lathered into his scalp and hair, Takumi grabbed a disposable towel and wrapped his still wet, sticky hair. He'd have to wait about an hour or so for the dye to set before he could rinse it out. The boy washed his hands, aware that Yeri disliked it when his hands were dirty, and even checked the underneath of his fingernails to be free of ink stains. He walked out of the baths feeling refreshed and found Nana waiting for him with a loose Kai Empire-style side button-up shirt instead of his dirtied tunic.

"Since you lathered your hair just now, we can't put your head through your shirt without risking it getting stained again," she explained as she helped him into the button-up. Takumi appreciated the foresight as he slipped it on, saying thank you for going to the private quarters. Once he stepped inside their room, Takumi expected a lecture immediately, but instead found his mother looking sad next to a table with two wrapped bento boxes, courtesy of the brothel chef. Today, Yeri had the rare gift of getting the rest of the evening off, so she didn't have to serve any guests during the dinnertime. Eating dinner with her own son wasn't an occasion that happened often, which was why she had been looking forward to spending time with him today; it was another reason for why Takumi had been so anxious about returning home.

She eyed his wrapped head sadly and said, "I'm sorry."

Takumi knew that she was apologizing for the fact that Takumi had to regularly dye his hair to conceal his natural hair colors. When he was younger, his wine-colored hair hadn't been a problem, but his hair and eye color bore such an obvious resemblance to his mother that Yeri's clients grew more and more uncomfortable as they saw Takumi grow older, which hindered her popularity. The head matron thus concluded that Takumi must dye his hair a different color to avoid scrutiny, buying the hair solution and ink every month.

"It's fine, it's not a big deal," he said to reassure her.

Yeri sighed, "But it's such a shame to hide a hair color as beautiful as ours."

The young boy chuckled at her vanity. Of course, his mother would be concerned about that.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

Takumi smiled, unbothered by the whole ordeal. "Really."

"Okay." Yeri's gentle tone suddenly shifted into one of scolding. "Now, would you like to begin explaining why you came home late?"

Takumi feebly grinned at her stern expression and raised his hands in a gesture to appease her. "Ah, about that…"

* * *

x

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Thank you for reading! Also, thank you to **Procrastinatingismyforte, Yatocat19, ishdirections, Raffylores, Meilinfan, treavellergirl, suntan140** for your kind reviews!


	3. A Second Encounter

x

* * *

From birth, Takumi had known that he was an anomaly.

An unforeseen occurrence.

A glitch in the system.

He was supposed to be dead.

After a painless death, his eyes had opened to an entirely new world. A different language, a different society, a different world. He realized this when he turned one year old, and the revelation was enough to shock him into near silence.

His only saving grace from the terrifying situation was the woman who cared for him, Yeri, his mother. Yeri was a beautiful lady with rich, wine-colored hair and bright hazel eyes. She seemed to glow with beauty, grace, and confidence and was very kind to him. Takumi also knew that his mother was talented in a variety of musical arts and etiquette: zither, calligraphy, _kokyū,_ singing, tea ceremony, and dancing. She would often sing him comforting lullabies as a young child during the occasional restless night when he would be plagued with nightmares of a previous life.

His current life was, strictly speaking, not terrible. In fact, it was more than enough.

From birth, he had a roof over his head, food to eat, and people who were willing to care for him. All of these things would have been unexpected from a brothel, but he was grateful nonetheless. It had taken Takumi some time to accept what his mother did for a living, but he came to appreciate her role in society. Though oirans could be crudely reduced to a prostitute, they were still more than that. They were trained in cultural and social etiquette and were therefore inheritors of a civilization's culture. Takumi learned that his mother's various talents stemmed from years and years of training and he wasn't unfamiliar with what was required of entertainment games, so he respected all courtesans. The other workers of the brothel also deserve much praise, for without them, their business wouldn't run as smoothly as it does now. Under the strict guidance of the terrifying head matron, the house ran like a well-oiled machine, never in disorder and always controlled.

When the surrounding adults soon understood that Takumi no longer required constant supervision, he grew aware that once he became older, he would have to pull his own weight in the house. He was another mouth to feed and he'd have to earn it.

That's why he had begun creating things. It first started off with simple bracelets, which then grew to cheap pieces of hair ornaments, and more simple crafts that regular peasants could afford. Most jewelry in Kouka could only be afforded by people living well. In Kuuto, the capital city of Kouka, most families had a set of precious heirlooms that were handed down generation to generation, but those weren't worn often. Takumi's cheap bracelets, necklaces, and hair ornaments allowed anyone to wear them as much as they'd like without fearing it breaking or getting stolen. They were cheap, colorful, pretty enough that anyone could enjoy wearing them without worrying. It was a good market target, and the brothel earned considerable profit when other workers joined Takumi in the manufacturing process. Travelling merchants bought packets of them in bulk and sold them in villages far away, quickly growing to be a hot commodity.

Besides 'creating' things, Takumi simply lended his energy with various chores around the brothel, given some tasks by Nana, a lively and responsible servant girl, other male workers, or the head matron herself. The work itself was not entirely too troublesome since he learned more about the world he lived in that way. Chores usually revolved around washing laundry and dishes, fixing things, fetching food or items from stores, running errands, helping busy servants, and cleaning the house. Yeri could only spend time with him during the mornings and was usually occupied in the evenings for guests. If other oirans had free time, sometimes they'd give him a lesson or two on one of their specialty trades since every one of them was the best in their own respective talents. He was more or less now familiar with the full set of expected skills of a courtesan, his favorite being the koto. If there was one thing that he was grateful for his rebirth, it was that he had retained a musical ear and talent for music.

In his free time, when he wasn't needed anywhere, Takumi liked to wander the streets, either from above on the roof or among the crowd. The chatter of other humans, the busyness of trading and bartering, the jingle of coins all kept his mind at bay and gave him a sense of ease. However, for today, Takumi had another agenda other than people-watching and kept his gaze down as he discreetly surveyed the passing strangers until he bumped into a middle-aged man dressed in rich green robes.

The disgruntled man was about to snap at Takumi when the boy pressed his palms together in apology and bowed, exclaiming, "I'm so sorry!"

"Tch, watch your step, boy," the man grunted as he walked away. Takumi kept his tilted down until the man left out of sight and then slipped into one of the back alleys of the west district. Opening his hand, seven silver coins gleamed in the dim shadow. Considering how he was still a novice at pickpocketing, it was an acceptable result. Takumi slipped the coins in a small drawstring back, tying it shut tightly to prevent it from clinking together when he moved, and put it in his pocket. He continued down the alley, unperturbed by the intimidating figures loitering around every corner, and navigated through the maze-like walls, reaching a slum full of wandering children.

"Where is she?" He asked a disheveled child in tattered clothes who pointed across the dirty street to a young woman feeding a little toddler pieces of fruit.

"Mother Teresa," Takumi called out. Barely twenty-one years old, Mei was a former shrine maiden-in-training, who had been cast out along with all the other priests, priestesses, and servants of the temple under the order of General Yu-Hon, now deceased. She was young at that time, but hadn't lost her determination to serve the will of the gods and dedicated her life taking care of orphans in Kuuto. It was currently her biggest dream to open the first orphanage in the capital city of Kouka. 'Mother Teresa' was a nickname Takumi had given her after hearing her story and dream; the actual Mother Teresa would have been proud to see someone carrying out such charitable work.

Though 'Mother Teresa' was not her real name, Mei turned around and smiled at Takumi. "Takumi! What brings you here?"

Wordlessly, he tossed her the small pouch of coins. Suspecting its contents, Mei opened the drawstring and sighed when she pulled out the silver coins.

"Takumi, you mustn't pickpocket, how many times have I told you?" She said in a despondent voice. "You're going to get in trouble if you get caught, or worse, if it's someone who you really shouldn't be stealing from."

Takumi looked away, feigning indifference. She always said these words whenever he handed her stolen money, but nothing she could say would change his mind. Mei would never resort to underhanded methods to gain resources, but still desperately needed money to provide for orphans, so Takumi had decided that he would be the one to steal as a way of pickpocket practice. It killed two birds with one stone. He also always made sure to target people who didn't go to Kuuto's markets often; living in the city long enough has allowed Takumi to recognize the difference between locals, frequent travelers, and first-time visitors.

Mei held out the coins. "I can't take this," she said.

Takumi looked at her uncaringly and turned away. "It's not even that much, you might as well throw them into the gutter. I'll be going now."

He didn't have to turn around to know that Mei shook her head at him. Takumi climbed to the roof and headed back to the main street of the west district, but instead of mingling among the people, he watched from above.

It'd been nearly more than two weeks since the incident of the princess' kidnapping in Kuuto. The aftermath drama buzz had died down and things returned back to normal. Takumi usually visited Ogi around once a week just to check on news and recent gossip to stay on top of things around the area and castle. Perhaps it was time to drop by today. With that in mind, he started his short trek to the east district, glancing down at the crowd below him every once awhile. He was halfway across the east district when something, or a little someone, caught his eye.

Takumi dragged out a sigh at the sight of a red-haired girl.

Was she dumb?

Reluctantly, he trailed behind the little girl, keeping a sharp eye tagged on her small figure as she got hopelessly lost and overwhelmed in the bustling swarm of bodies. Takumi could see the panic on her face grow to the point of tears when no one would stop and notice her troubles. Out of desperation, the princess ran left into a little alley, curled up against a little crevice in the stone wall and began leaking large tears like clear gems.

Takumi tilted his head back and let out an even more exasperated sigh, continuing to watch the scene from the roof behind her like an uncaring fairy godmother. His hazel eyes didn't even waver when the girl sobbed and squeaked out cries for help.

"Dad? S-Soo-Won? H-Hak? M'Joo-Doh? A-anyone, p-please," she blubbered. "Home, I-I want to go h-home."

What a pitiful sight of Kouka's princess.

It didn't take long for the girl to fall asleep out of emotional exhaustion and shedding so many tears. Once Takumi was sure that she was softly sleeping, he jumped down and crouched down in front of her, studying her face.

Yona's violet eyes were closed, reddened and slightly puffy from the flow of waterworks earlier, fiery red hair framing her round face in a curly rings. Takumi cynically thought that she would have fetched an insane auction price at any Kai slavery trade; her features were incredibly rare and she was already cuter than most little kids her age. Cuteness did not equate intelligence though, that was for sure. Why the little princess would wander back into Kuuto, managing to evade her escorts, was beyond Takumi. She couldn't have possibly had to guts to come in here by herself, especially if she was forbidden from leaving the Hiryuu Castle. Why was she here?

Taking great care to not wake her, Takumi picked her up onto his back, piggy-back style. As he looped her arms around his neck, he felt her shift.

"Hn, Hak?" Her voice was small when she spoke up.

Ah, she must have thought he was the Wind Tribe boy based on his hair, not seeing Takumi's face.

"You grew," the princess mumbled as she drifted back into sleep. The courtesan's son breathed a sigh of relief, hefting her up, and carried her out into the streets of Kuuto. He was careful not to jostle her along the way to the gate located at the bottom of the short elevation where Hiryuu Castle sat. The walk took about ten minutes and thankfully, Takumi found someone trustworthy to hand over the princess.

"Excuse me," he said to catch the attention of Captain Joo-Doh. Or at least, he was trustworthy to the princess for another ten years or so.

Stress seemed to drop off the captain's shoulders like weights when he recognized the little girl Takumi was carrying on his back. Approaching the boy himself, Joo-Doh stooped down and picked up the princess, accidentally waking her in the process.

"Mm, where?" She murmured, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Fluttering her violet eyes open, Yona came face to face to the unflinching stare of a vexed Captain Joo-Doh.

"Yona-hime," the older man growled. "What did we tell you about leaving the castle? _Alone_?"

Unfortunately for the captain, the princess ignored him and looked straight to Takumi, who looked back at her, unimpressed.

She pointed at him, recognizing his face. "Ah, not Hak."

"I'll be going now," Takumi told the captain.

Joo-Doh held out a hand. "Wait, how do you know this girl? Did you do anything to her? How did you know to bring her here?"

Takumi almost wanted to chuckle at the protectiveness the captain exhibited over Yona, it made him wonder what exactly did Soo-Won say to convince Joo-Doh that it was acceptable to chase her out of the castle?

"She's the princess who got kidnapped by Kai traders about two weeks ago, I kind of helped that day," he drawled. "Saw her walking around Kuuto by herself, figured she probably wasn't supposed to." Predictably, Captain Joo-Doh did not take the sarcasm well, but it did remind him of who the boy was, the black-haired one who ran across the roofs and even took down one of the kidnappers (albeit quite roughly). Personally, he thought the strange boy could be the evil twin of Hak, General Mun-Deok's grandson, though Hak would also be the evil twin, therefore two evil twins. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"And how did you find her this time," he asked tiredly. He had spent the entire morning searching for her, but Kuuto was a maze and he was tired from the search and stress. If Joo-Doh had known that royal brats were going to be such a handful, he wouldn't have stepped up as Captain of the First Imperial Squad so readily.

"Same way like last time, from the roof," Takumi replied easily. "If that's all, I'll take my leave."

Before he could turn around, Yona cried out, "W-wait!"

Takumi tilted his head back with a questioning glance.

"T-thank you!" She said shyly. "Can I see you again?"

Captain Joo-Doh was already in the middle of berating her as to why she couldn't see him again when the boy walked away from the gate.

"I hope not," Takumi muttered softly as he waved good-bye.

The boy tried to not to think too much as he weaved through Kuuto's dying crowd, making his way back to the west district. It was almost time for dinner, so he should head back to help the chef prepare meals for the house if the help was even needed. And like that, Takumi tried to busy his whirring mind with idle thoughts, continuing to think of unimportant things. He also tried to take in his surroundings, the streets of the town.

Deals being made, haggled, bartered, cheerful and strained voices. The smell of food cooking in stalls, sold as quick meals or snacks. The boisterous voices of vendors, attracting ears with tempting prices and items. Wooden carts bumping over the rocky ground, horses snorting and neighing.

Chatter.

People going about their regular lives. Working for a living. Going through the motions of life.

Takumi's legs unconsciously halted as he calmed himself with the familiar sights and sounds of Kuuto. Kuuto was his hometown, where he had grown up all these years. It was familiar. Takumi's roof travels had allowed him to discover the numerous nooks and crannies of the town, though he was sure to find more once Yeri would let him stay out longer.

He could recognize faces, he knew some people's weekly schedules, he could figure out the tides of the economy in the kingdom, he could hear gossip and rumors of a lot of people. The brothel was the heart of the west district, a place where people came and go not just for sexual pleasures, but also to greet friends and acquaintances, discuss business, and make connections. This was all familiar and familiar meant comfort to Takumi and there was nothing more than comfort that he wanted from this world. His birth was already troublesome, he didn't need any problems to put a damper in his life; Takumi only wanted some more peace for another lifetime, one that would be untouched by red-haired princesses, prophecies, and dragons. He wanted to stay far away from all of them because of his past memories.

He knew what was going to happen to the princess on her sixteenth birthday.

Takumi was hoping that by the time Yeri would trust him enough to venture alone, he was going to leave Kuuto and go far, far away. Maybe even cross an ocean or two. Travel to the unknown. Anything to stay in his lane and avoid plots.

Almost mechanically, Takumi's legs began moving again and his feet took him home.

* * *

x

* * *

Thank you for reading! I'll be time skipping a bit now.

Also, Takumi's hair color is purple-ish. It's not neon purple, but a deep burgundy shade. And a reminder that he currently dyes his hair so it is ink-black right now.


	4. Mysterious Stranger

Uh, warning for some foul and sexual language?

* * *

 ** _6 Years_**

* * *

The princess of Kouka let out a dreamy sigh.

She had finished all of her lessons for the day and was simply passing time by daydreaming at her favorite spot in palace. Her father was busy, as usual, and there was no one to play with.

As usual.

As a result of such boredom, the red-haired princess often let her mind drift off into nonsensical scenarios. Her daydreams often included imaginations like what it would be like if she learned swordsmanship, archery, and horseback riding alongside Hak and Soo-Won, or the day Soo-Won would notice her as more than a child, the palace cook's best desserts, or when she would be able to choose another set of wardrobes, in hopes of catching Soo-Won's eye.

Soo-Won, her dear childhood friend, was included in many of her daydreams. She was so sure she liked him. He was kind and gentle towards her, so starkly different to the mean Hak who only knew how to say means things and do mean things to her.

Yona sighed once more, leaning her face against a hand, and idly gazed at one of the many flourishing gardens around the palace.

A taunting voice spoke up behind her. "If the princess sighs any more than that, she'll stink up the palace with her terrible breath."

An angry fist formed behind long silk sleeves when she heard Hak walk into the shaded pavilion. Turning around, Yona glared at her 'childhood friend' who was leaning against a large pillar and munching on an apple. Hak was always eating, sleeping, or training whenever she saw him.

He was annoying.

Hak tilted his head when he saw how the princess was scrutinizing him, fighting down a blush at her serious expression. She had never really looked at him like that.

The Wind Tribe boy heard her murmur "-he was more nice" as she turned her head away and he couldn't help but suddenly get irritated.

Yona yelped when a hand clamped down on her head rather forcefully until she faced Hak's vexed expression.

"What was that, Yona-hime?" He growled.

The princess slapped his hand away, trying to free herself. "Nothing, nothing!"

He huffed, suspicious at her behavior, but let her go. The girl pouted when she could feel the pressure on her head lifting. Why did he have to be so _mean_?

She turned back to daydreaming and involuntarily, a faint memory from six years ago surfaced. The time when she had wandered out of the palace, escaping the guards, and walked into Kuuto for the second time. Her second time had not been much better than the first. Yona closed her eyes when she recalled how she had gotten into so much trouble that first time, but couldn't exactly remember what had happened. But she remembered the second time, she had gotten lost. Barely six years old, and didn't know where to go in Kuuto. And someone had saved her. A boy with hair darker than Hak's and strong like him. A boy who had been as gentle as Soo-Won. A boy who had been older.

Discreetly casting a glance at Hak, Yona tried to compare the Wind Tribe boy to fuzzy memory of the mystery stranger so long ago.

How old would her mystery stranger be now? How was he doing? Was he any different? Was he still nice to all people as he had been nice to her? His voice was probably deeper, and his body probably bigger. She hoped that boy was still as gentle as he had been before.

Yona secretly wished to meet him again.

* * *

x

* * *

A man wheezed, clutching his side, as he attempted to run around the little enclosure.

Pabo swallowed down a ball of terror as he stared at the figure across the circle, trying his best to ignore the shouts of the mob that surrounded them. Sweat dripped down his face and body, the air was muggy. The underground dugout was filled with people, betting on the fight, cheering for blood. Everyone wanted to see blood.

He needed to get away. Why did he think this was a good idea? He was going to lose all his leftover money.

Who told him that underground fighting was easy money? There was nothing easy about _this_.

His instincts screamed for him to _run run run_ for his life.

Pabo stumbled over to the ringleader, his knee cap throbbing in protest. "Please," he nearly sobbed. "I can't win this, _I can't. I'm going to die_."

The older man's hard eyes remained cold and he frowned. "Sorry, rules are rules, you're in here until the other guy calls it off."

Pabo's face froze.

"Why are you running?"

The calm voice sent chills down the man's spine. In the shadows across the small circle, a black-haired teenager stood in a casual stance. The same kid who had viciously cracked down a fist on Pabo's knee seconds earlier. After that first blow, Pabo had known he was going to get killed if he didn't get out of the fight fast, that kid's eyes thirsted for blood.

But why him?

"Why you?"

Pablo flinched. Had he said that aloud?

The man brought his shaky eyes to his opponent's gaze.

"Do you know a lady named Mi-Wah? From the west district?"

That prostitute from the big fancy house? She didn't give him her body, even when he visited her five times. He should have known better than to waste money on a courtesan's 'visiting time', it was all a joke. Just because they knew how to pour tea and play some music didn't mean they could refuse him, when he had spent so much money just to spend time with them. He just wanted some sex with prettier faces, that's all.

As he recalled the identity of the woman, Pabo realized that the noise level around them had dropped to fervent whispering. The spectators were all speaking in low voices, behind hands, and from the corner of his eye, Pabo could see changes of bets being quickly made. What was happening? What's going on?

"Oh man, that guy's gonna get pummeled," someone giggled.

"Bloody paste."

Another murmured, "Ah, so that's why Takumi had Ogi's men drag him here."

"Damn, feel sorry for the guy," others whispered pitifully.

Pabo couldn't handle the tittering. Were they making fun of him?

"What?!" He shouted, increasingly frightened even more by his situation. He was getting beaten up by a kid two times younger than him, and now the crowd was turning on him?

"S-so, what about her?" Pabo tried to dial up the bravado in his voice. It wasn't working though, he could barely draw out the words, the kid's golden eyes felt like claws, dissecting.

The kid stepped to the middle, coming out of the shadows, half covered in light. "She got a bruise from a nasty customer today. Would you know about how she got hurt?"

Pabo stiffened. "You're kidding me," he breathed in disbelief. "You're throwing a hissy fit over a _whore_?"

Someone behind him did a low whistle. "You're screwed, man."

Pabo couldn't respond to the commentator because a fist suddenly planted itself into his lower abdomen. Feeling the knuckles dig into his gut, the man doubled over, retching, throwing up his dinner from earlier.

"I make it a point to make sure that our women are treated nicely," the kid said in an airy tone. How was he talking so calmly? If Pabo didn't know any better, that same voice could be used to discuss mundane topics in the markets.

"So what," Pabo groaned over his pain. "I paid for her, five times, and she didn't even let me touch her."

His opponent crouched down to one knee and had the gall to laugh in his face. "Oh, so you paid for her? You thought you could just pay your way into an oiran's legs?"

Judging from the heavy sarcasm, the man thought that it might be better to stay quiet.

"Let me guess, you're not from Kuuto, are you?"

Pabo shook his head, distressed, rasping, "Mapo Village, a day's travel from Kuuto."

There was an elegant snort. "Pabo from Mapo Village. You're not too far from home, but you obviously don't know much about oirans."

Again, Pabo chose to be quiet, desperately wishing to be let off the hook.

"Get up."

 _Don't get up_ , instincts told him. Against his better judgement, Pabo staggered to his feet.

Pabo was now groveling, attempting to worm his way out of the situation. "I'm sorry, I'm _sorry, I'm sorry!_ "

"Ah, I'm sure you are," his tormentor said lightly. Pabo lifted his head, almost with a bit of hope.

"But I'm afraid that all sniveling idiots like yourself seem to forget lessons. I have to make sure to deliver one so you don't ever forget that you're sorry."

Pabo's breaths were shallow. This can't be happening.

"This can't be happening," his voice croaked out before a leg swung at his hip, knocking Pabo over to the dusty ground.

Over the man's sputtering to get dirt out of his mouth, the kid continued his breezy tone. "Someone told me how you boasted about passing the preliminaries of the annual sparring matches at the Castle a year ago."

 _That's a lie_ , Pabo's mind yelled. He had been bragging, he had only passed the first round. The man barely managed to upright himself from the ground, when a hard fist drove down like a cane on his left shoulder. Pabo fell again.

"Get up. Let's test out how strong you are. I'll give you a lesson about oirans while we're at it."

Pabo didn't know he could hurt so much. He was sure that ugly bruises covered his skin, that his face was swollen beyond recognition. Some parts of his skin felt so tight and thin that blood would burst out. His body was shaking, in fear and in pain, and in exhaustion.

"You know, oirans train for years and years to perfect all aspects of entertainment."

His opponent was no longer a simple opponent. That kid was a demon.

"Singing, dancing, musical instruments, etiquette, social decorum, history, politics," he listed. A hard elbow dug into Pabo's rib, robbing him of oxygen. The crowd let out a wave of _ooh_ , wincing at the second-hand pain.

He fell down on his knees. Pabo's world went white with pain. He could feel tears trailing grooves down his face. Some parts of his body would go numb after getting hammered, only to return with a sensation of deep-boned burning that wouldn't lessen. That monster never aimed for the vitals, but knew where to hit so it hurt the most.

"Their faces and bodies aren't the only assets, oirans are also praised for their quick wit and lovely company."

He ached all over. Some places throbbed, other parts were on fire, most were piercing. Especially if he moved, even more if he sucked in a breath of air.

The tormentor's voice was hollow. "They're meant to serve people who could afford them on a monthly basis, successful merchants and nobles and the like."

A ruthless punch to the sternum. Pabo couldn't breathe.

"And some peasant thought he could just pay for sex with an oiran."

And every time a blow was landed. He'd be ordered to get up.

"Get up."

A finger twitched. If he didn't get up in time, he'd be kicked.

Was it worth it? A few seconds of nothing, only to get beaten down again?

Pabo gasped, inhaling dirt as he did so, when a foot grinded down the back of his hand.

"Already tired?"

"P-please," Pabo whimpered. Fat tears dribbled down his face, mixing with bloody snot. "Please, _s-stop_."

Perhaps the most frightening thing about the entire beating was that the kid's voice _**never changed**_.

The foot pressed against his hand even harder, gravel crunching into his skin and bones.

It was that same horrifyingly unruffled voice. "You don't step a foot inside our brothel again, do you hear me? Not with that attitude."

Pabo's head nodded frantically. _Please, please, please, please. He understood_.

His mercy came in the form of a fist, one aimed for his temple. A sharp rap to the head, rattling his brain inside the skull, and then darkness blanketed his conscious.

If anything, Pabo welcomed the darkness.

* * *

x

* * *

When Takumi went home that night, he bit back a sigh when he saw a lantern lit at the brothel's backdoor.

Yeri was waiting for him.

As expected, it was his mother standing with barely concealed rage and Nana right behind, wringing her hands in worry. It was always the same sight, whenever he came home knowing he was in trouble. It never changed, even now, when Takumi was seventeen years old. Old enough to be taking care of himself.

Takumi knew he didn't have to explain what he had been up to during the night. His fists wrapped with bloodied gauzes, sweaty clothes clinging to his toned form and a sack of coins hanging from the belt, earnings from another illegal underground fight.

He had gotten himself involved in the fighting ring since two years ago for two purposes: learning how to brawl and winning bets. Quite frankly, Takumi personally thought it was one of the better ways of raking in money despite all the risks involved. Not only did he quickly learn to fight, as pain was a fast teacher, but he also learned how to asses his opponents. All it would take was one full lookover to judge a person's posture, appearance, and gleam in their eye for Takumi to calculate everything he needed to know to have a crack on their weaknesses and strengths. If they favored their left arm or left, if they were a kicker or puncher, bouncy or sturdy, experienced or rookie, bends or snaps, heavy or light.

It was also an excuse to beat down people who dared to mistreat workers in the brothel. A pudgy merchant slapped one of the courtesans? Drag the lowlife down to the underground fighting ring, force him to bet all the money and jewels he had on him, then rob the merchant of all his bets by rigging the matches a little bit. A mercenary punched a brothel worker? Pay someone to tease him with joining the underground ring for just one night, for what was the harm in participating in a soft, civilian league of brawling? Surely, a mercenary who worked out of Kuuto could handle cushiony underground rings, but instead get beat down either by Takumi's own hand or another.

This time, Pabo had been a simple Sky soldier seeking some basic gratification in the pleasure districts of Kuuto, using saved up wages. The ill-informed man thought that he could buy his way into one of the best brothels in town, assuming that business was conducted the same way as his previous experiences with regular prostitutes. Pabo had gotten excited at the sight of Mi-Wah, dumping the required price of booking a room with her for the evening, but Takumi had heard from other brothel workers about how he had thrown a tantrum that first time he had visited the oiran, demanding that he deserved more than a simple tea ceremony and music from her. After his fifth visit and fifth denial of intimacy, he had lost his temper, resulting in a bruised and humiliated Mi-Wah. Takumi had come home almost an hour later and upon seeing one of their own injured, he requested the identity of the person who inflicted the bruise before stalking out and seeking vengeance. He had bribed Ogi to get some muscled men to haul Pabo into one of the underground fighting rings, forcing the indignant soldier to bet on the leftovers of his wages, and then joined the match himself.

Either way, Yeri didn't approve. She had caught on within less than six months of when he had first started fighting. To say that she wasn't happy when she found out was an understatement. Right now was no different.

Walking up the door, Takumi looked up to his mother's enraged hazel eyes, only to have his face slapped, the sound ringing in the night. Nana gasped in shock. The stinging lingered on Takumi's cheek as he lowered gaze.

Yeri's voice was tight with anger. "I thought I had told you stop fighting," she seethed. A peek through his bangs told him that his mother was furious to the point of furrowing her brows, carving lines into her delicate skin. His mother had conceived him when she had been young, but her age was in the beginning steps of letting itself show; Yeri was still beautiful and was evidently the type to age gracefully, however signs of years was not welcomed in her line of work.

Unraveling the coin bag from his hip, Takumi turned it over in his hand, allowing the coins inside to jingle merrily. "I got a lot this time, more than usual."

" _I don't care about your blood money!_ " Yeri snapped. "And I don't care about your twisted sense of justice, going after people who hurt members of the brothel."

Catching the eye of Nana, who was silently pleading for Takumi to close his mouth, he stayed quiet. It seemed that it would be no good if he tried to talk back.

"Now go apologize to Mi-Wah, she's been worried about your safety," his mother ordered, having no more patience with her son.

Takumi ducked his head, entering the brothel and shouldering past his mother without another word.

"And get rid of those bandages!" Yeri nearly shouted behind him. At her words, Takumi immediately unraveled the gauzes, throwing the bloodied fabrics into the nearest garbage bin.

He headed upstairs to the private quarters where most rooms were filled with sleeping occupants, but a few were still awake, one of them was Mi-Wah. He approached the sliding door, knocking gently on the wooden frame.

A soft voice called out, "Who is it?"

"Me."

There was a bit of rustling, perhaps objects and clothes being hastily reorganized, before he was allowed to enter. Inside was a pretty dark-haired lady in her pale cream nightgowns accompanied by two of her juniors, oirans-in-training. The two younger girls gaped at the disheveled visitor while Mi-Wah gestured for him to sit down, almost insisting.

The dark-haired lady smiled sadly at the young man. "Takumi, you really scared me earlier, running off like that."

Takumi studied the courtesan's face, eyeing the splotchy blue bruise blooming on the side of her face. Her lip must have also been busted in the same blow, because her lower lip was scabbed with blood. The explosion of temper from before, when he had first seen her face, wasn't as strong now. Knowing that Pabo's smashed unconscious face was lying on dirt barely kept the anger at bay.

"Have you iced it?"

Mi-Wah tried for a bigger a smile, but winced when it tugged on her injured lip. She caught the darkening of Takumi's expression as she did so and tried to reassure him.

"I have, and I've used a poultice so it's healing now," she said, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm. "You don't have to concern yourself with it."

Takumi's shoulders lowered a fraction. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I shouldn't have gone after him without talking to you first."

The oiran's lips quirked upwards. He was always so polite to members of the brothels. The rest of Kuuto didn't often see this part of him, they only saw the cold and taciturn persona instead. His reputation in the illegal underground fighting rings only exacerbated the rumors.

"I was more frightened of you getting hurt," she murmured, observing the faint scars on his hands and arms that accumulated rapidly ever since he had begun fighting. She was sure there were more hiding underneath his clothes.

"You really worried your mother, you know," Mi-Wah added, fondly noting how Takumi sighed at her words. She also noticed how one side of his face was pink, as if someone had slapped him. Most likely his mother.

"I don't need any more women worrying over me," he grumbled endearingly. Mi-Wah chuckled knowingly, half of the brothel had lended a hand in raising him, before waving him off.

"Alright, off you go then. Go wash up and get some sleep," she said in a mockingly stern voice.

Takumi huffed in amusement. "It's like I have more than one mother." He got up to leave, but placed a brief kiss on Mi-Wah's bruised cheek as he did so. The dark-haired beauty murmured good night when he closed the sliding door shut.

There was a beat of silence before one of her juniors squealed. "Was _that_ Takumi? The one we've been hearing about?"

Mi-Wah stifled a yawn. "He is. You've heard of him?"

Her other junior nodded vigorously. "Yes! We've never seen him until now, but he's _so_ much better than what everyone says about him."

The oiran laid down on her futon, adjusting her pillows. "And what do people say about him?"

Her precious juniors had lovesick expressions as they began whispering about the young man in hushed tones. Mi-Wah's eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion, content with chatter that helped put her to sleep. It was no secret that many of the younger oirans-in-training of their brothel admired Takumi ever since he had his growth spurt, shooting up like a bamboo sprout. In fact, he had become such a troublesome target of affections that some of their trainees had gotten a little too distracted from their duties. Yeri's little boy was growing up to be a young man, stealing hearts already. Where had all the years flown by?

Because of the trouble, the head matron ordered him to keep a lower profile than he already did. Sadly as a result, Takumi didn't show his face in the brothel as often and many of the older courtesans and workers missed his presence. Since he couldn't be an extra helping hand there, he was forced to work outside. Mi-Wah unhappily suspected that his casual banishment was what induced his involvement in the illegal underground fights. It already stressed out Yeri enough to know that Takumi also had a horrible habit of pickpocketing people off the streets of Kuuto, his mother must be pulling her hair out to know about the fighting rings.

Mi-Wah was about to fall asleep when one of the girls tapped her shoulder.

"Mi-Wah, is it true that he goes after people who hurt members of the brothel? Is that what he did for you today?"

The courtesan cracked open an eye, seeing the expectancy in her apprentices' sparkling eyes. "Yes, it happens sometimes," she sighed. The girls muffled their high-pitched squeals of delight into their blankets.

"He's just like a gentleman!"

"A prince, a real prince!"

Mi-Wah refrained from rolling her eyes. Honestly, her students were too cute and a little too innocent for their own good. Yes, Takumi was kind, but just as he was kind, he was also frighteningly unemotional about people he didn't care about. Would it be better if she shattered their glamorous image of him now or later?

"Kill the light," she told them. "Since I won't be working until this bruise heals, we'll be focusing on your studies full time beginning with tea ceremonies tomorrow. Rest up, we have a long day ahead of us."

Her pupils gulped at the news and hurriedly blew out the flame, pulling their covers over their bodies.

One girl piped up hesitantly. "Mi-Wah, just one more question."

She shrugged. "Fine, what is it?"

"Does he kiss all of the courtesans like that?"

Mi-Wah could almost hear the underlying question, _if I became a courtesan, would he treat me like that?,_ and turned away from her students.

"That's enough gossiping for one night, girls, go to sleep."

* * *

x

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Skipping through time because I want to get to the juicy Plot quick lol. Hope you guys don't mind. Thank you all for your encouraging reviews!

A guest asked if I drew the cover of the story, and I did! Actually, I drew all of my stories' covers. I'll be changing the cover in the next update, if you're interested in seeing my stories' covers, just shoot me a PM or let me know in the review and I'll post them on my tumblr (dantedont . tumblr . com).


	5. A Willpower to Live

**de junco** asked about how old the characters are so here's a current age count:

Takumi - 17

Yona - 12

Hak - 14

* * *

x

* * *

"Takumi! Takumi, wake up, please!"

Nana was shaking him awake, frantic. Takumi groaned as he bent over, rubbing the back of his messy hair.

"What."

"Two men are causing trouble at the entrance, they wouldn't even listen to the head matron when she told them to leave," the agitated servant girl said as she strained to pull him to his feet. Nana wrinkled her nose when she caught a waft of heavy booze reeking from the young man's breath.

"Have you been _drinking_?" She asked in disbelief.

Yeri's son wasn't an alcoholic, and he didn't drink often. He only consumed alcohol as a poor sleeping agent when he had a particularly bad nightmare. Nana knew that Takumi had struggled with sleeping and bad dreams when he was younger, so he must have had a really terrible time trying to sleep last night.

Takumi didn't answer, but plodded out of his room, fastening his pants so that they didn't drop down to his ankles.

"Wait, Takumi, you're not even dressed properly!" Nana went after him, almost hysterical. "I said, _wait_! I haven't even explained everything."

"I kick their asses," he said in a monotone while adjusting his loose shirt. "What else is there?"

"I think it has to do with the man who hurt Mi-Wah three days ago," the servant girl disclosed nervously. "These guys are Sky soldiers, asking for the person who hurt their friend."

Takumi's body paused for a moment at the piece of information and then continued his way down the stairs to the front entrance of the brothel.

So troublesome, he thought, his mood taking a sharp turn downward. Maybe beating up Pabo, the Sky soldier, hadn't been the best choice of action. Seeing the jet black-haired man making his way to the entrance, the observing brothel workers surmised what was going to happen and followed him at a distance, both a little apprehensive and excited for the upcoming scene.

Takumi heard the two men before seeing them, and they didn't sound very gentleman-like. By the time he reached the throng of people, a mix of onlookers and workers, one man shoved the head matron by the shoulders. The old woman stumbled backwards until Takumi's hands steadied her from behind.

"'Sup," he greeted the head matron. Though the old woman was ancient, with bony fingers and a thin frame, her taut muscles and beady eyes showed that she was capable of pulling off another decade of running the business before digging her own grave to sleep in.

"This is your mess," the old lady reprimanded him in a reedy voice. "Take it outside."

"'Kay," he answered and without another word, he roughly grabbed the two misbehaving men by the collars of their tunics, much to their displeasure, and dragged them out of the brothel with ease. Once outside in the street, Takumi let them go, making them stumble from the imbalance, before folding his arms across his chest. Spectators gathered outside, forming a loose circle around the three males.

"Who're you," one snarled. He had cropped brown hair with a flat face.

The other one was better looking, with a sharp jaw and wavy hair. "What do you think you're doing?"

Takumi winced at their loud voices, grating against his sensitive ears and hangover. "I hear that you're here to avenge your friend? What was his name again, Bado?"

"It's _Pabo_!" they both yelled.

"Not much of a name, if you ask me," the younger man said flippantly. His casual tone only angered the two men even further, giving him a onceover look.

The boy was younger than them and obviously hungover, with red-rimmed eyes and a haggard face, but he looked more than a simple drunkard. He seemed flashy, with two gold band piercings on the curve of his left ear, shaggy black hair, and dressed in only a loose robe and pants that looked of relatively nice quality. He looked like a _gigolo_ , a plaything for rich older women, except his physicality was slightly more muscular than most.

"We're looking for the guy to hurt our friend who got beat up so badly, we can't even recognize him anymore," the flat-faced one said gruffly. "Pabo won't tell us who it is, but we wanted to return the favor."

Takumi tilted his head. "Aren't you two Sky soldiers? Are you allowed to be doing this?"

"Shut up, kid," the other sneered. "Just tell us who it was. We know that it was someone related to this whorehouse."

Takumi raised his hand. "Oh, well, that was me. I was the one who beat him up."

From his peripheral view, Takumi could see Nana slapping a hand over her eyes and shaking her head in a mix of disapproval and exasperation. Flat-face and Wavy-hair raised their fists and took on fighting stances. Knowing that his attempts at calming wouldn't work, he still tried placating them anyway.

"Hey, it's heart-warming that you care about your friend's honor so much, but it isn't a good idea-"

Takumi's words were cut off when flat-face was the first to swing a weak punch. Dodging a sloppy kick from the other guy, Takumi grabbed Flat-face's hand and twisted. Without stopping momentum, he hooked a foot around Wavy-hair's grounded ankle and with a sweeping twist, Takumi tripped Wavy-hair and put Flat-face in a tight armlock, then pushed the guy to the ground next to his companion.

"You two are doing a wonderful job of embarrassing yourselves," he told them while the crowd behind them laughed openly.

The two Sky soldiers scrambled to their feet, bright red blushes spreading across their cheeks as the surrounding spectators giggled at the sight. Suddenly discouraged by their shamefully easy defeat and unsupportive crowd, their anger quickly melted away into humiliation. They shuffled their feet, suddenly unsure and at loss for what they should do next. Do they try and continue the fight?

Seeing their unwillingness and embarrassment, Takumi lifted a hand and made a 'shoo' gesture. "Now go on, take care of your friend, Pabo. He'd feel better having his friends by his side, not here, picking fights."

Flat-face and Wavy-hair awkwardly bobbed their heads at the order, disconcerted at how casual their dismissal had been. They had come down to the west district seeking vengeance for their dear friend, but now was receiving advice from the very person they were supposed to fight.

Once the two soldiers walked away with tails tucked between their legs, the watching crowd dispersed, satisfied with enough drama for one day. Takumi walked back inside the brothel, followed by Nana, and was intending to go back to his room and resume sleeping when an unexpected walking cane mercilessly knocked the back of his knees.

Takumi's knees buckled, hitting the floor, and he glared at the head matron at his side. "What."

Someone behind him smacked the side of his head. "Be more respectful," his mother said tiredly. When did his mother get here?

"Your mother and I need to speak to you about your...activities. " The head matron said the last word with deliberate distaste, referring to his underground activities.

Takumi rubbed his aching kneecaps as he got up and trailed after the old lady into her office near the back of the brothel. Yeri was with them and though nothing showed on her face, Takumi knew that something was deeply weighing on her mind which bothered him. Yeri rarely hid anything from him, trusting her son implicitly with everything and confiding in him. Sometimes she would even sought his advice.

They sat down, closing the door behind them to deter eavesdroppers. The head matron sat behind her large wooden desk, surrounded by papers and locked wooden coffers full of coins.

To break the silence, Takumi spoke first. "So what'd I do this time?"

Yeri rolled up several scrap pieces of parchment paper and harmlessly hit the back of his head at the rude question.

"Since when did you develop this attitude?" his mother sighed.

"It's always been there."

"Enough," the head matron grumped. "Yeri, you've been too lenient on this boy."

The old woman locked her spindly fingers in front of her as she levelled a heavy stare at Takumi. Her next words that came out of the grandmother's withered mouth were blunt and straight to the point.

"Your mother is sick."

Takumi's hazel eyes narrowed into thin slits at the head matron and Yeri shifted nervously when her son's spine noticeably stiffened.

The elderly woman continued, well aware of how Takumi wasn't taking the news nicely. "Your mother noticed a lump of flesh growing above her stomach for the past month, so we had a doctor come in and check on her two days ago. It seems she contracted some sort of illness that's never been healed before, a poisonous swelling of flesh that depletes a body's vitality. The doctor estimates three years, depending on her willpower to live, and if she lives past that, she'd only continue to grow weaker."

 _Cancer._

Takumi blinked, frozen with shock. The information hit him like cold water and horror pooled into the insides of his stomach. The head matron wouldn't joke about something like this, she spoke with all seriousness and no humor.

Two days. His mother had kept this from him for two days.

And he hadn't noticed anything during the entire month the illness had started.

Shame burned him.

Robotically, Takumi's head twisted to face his mother. Yeri's pinched face showed that she was trying put on a mask to hide her emotions, but her fingers were trembling.

Takumi never stammered, but he couldn't string together words to speak his mind. The head matron personally thought that it was pitiful to see the usually composed boy to be stuttering like this.

"Is this true? You're not-, this isn't-"

 _This isn't some sick joke?_

"I'm sorry," his mother whispered, bowing her head.

Staring at the crown of his mother's maroon hair, Takumi's insides filled with ice.

It wasn't a joke then.

The head matron and Yeri waited another minute for the news to sink in as Takumi stayed still.

Struggling to keep composure and keeping his voice low, he asked, "How good is this doctor?"

"The best of Kuuto."

Takumi should've studied medicine. He could have done better. Of all things in this world, he should have cared about medicine and doctoral studies.

"And what about medicine?"

The grandmother let out a small tired sigh, rubbing the temples of her forehead. "There is one that would help, but it's pricey. The most expensive one in the market, the senjusou plant. It's said to be a cure all, alleviating any pain, and speeds up healing."

Takumi blurted out, "I have money, I can-"

"I don't want it."

Takumi stared daggers at his mother. "What do you mean you don't want it?" he nearly hissed.

Yeri matched his heavy glare, unmoving. "I don't want medicine bought with your blood money. If you're going to buy the senjusou, I'd rather you use money earned through legal means."

"Well isn't that unfortunate, almost all the money I own happens to be illegal," Takumi said through gritted teeth.

Stealing from people's pockets had never been easier nowadays, and the underground fighting rings always raked in a lot of money. He had been heavily relying on these two skills for his sources of incomes to contribute to the brothel and his 'donations' to Mother Teresa. How was he supposed to make money instead?

Yeri calmly folded her arms. "Then you can't buy the medicine."

Before he could say another word, Yeri left the room, closing the door behind her. Takumi's eyes were blank with shock at his mother's seemingly nonchalant disposition towards her condition. After dropping the horrible news on him like a bomb, she was just going to leave him like this? Why was she so uncaring about purchasing needed medicine for her sickness? She could be facing death in three years.

"Your mother doesn't want you worrying over her. She's trying to act tough."

"That's dumb."

Ignoring Takumi's opinion, the head matron pulled out a string of heavy coins out of a drawer. "I'm willing to buy the first couple of senjusou plants, but there's very little of it on the market."

Takumi let out a prolonged sigh. "I'll find a job, something that'll pay well," he muttered. He turned to leave the office, when the elderly woman spoke up one more time.

"Yeri doesn't want to hold you down. She wants you to live freely, she initially intended to keep the sickness quiet until you were going to leave Kuuto to live a life of your own when you turn eighteen. She had planned to die once you were gone, rather than having you witness her withering away, succumbing to the illness."

Takumi swallowed down the ball of hurt aching in his throat before exiting.

As if he could just leave behind his mother like that.

* * *

x

* * *

Walking down the streets of Kuuto, the matron's words floated in Takumi's mind.

 _It seems she contracted some sort of illness that's never been healed before-_

Takumi stared at a group of children shrieking in delight, running past him as they playfully chased after each other. The usual comfort and sense of ease that the chatter of Kuuto's street gave him wasn't as soothing as he wanted. Instead, the sounds hurt his head, ringing in his ears and echoing into white noise.

 _-a poisonous swelling of flesh that depletes a body's vitality._

His head felt so empty. It hurt. A piercing throb slammed at the nerves behind his eye sockets and he flinched, briefly squeezing his eyes shut.

 _The doctor estimates three years-_

Perception of space suddenly distorted and Takumi felt like his body was floating away. Disassociation with reality hitting him hard, Takumi held out a hand in front of him and tried flexing his fingers, feeling the muscles and the physical sensation of skin stretching. It felt like something vital was slipping through his fingers. Flexing his hand, Takumi blankly stared at his palm, vision going blurry. What was he missing?

 _-depending on her willpower to live._

A willpower to live.

Yeri had been his anchor in this new world. A secure base. Without his mother, Takumi had no willpower to live.

 _-and if she lives past that, she'd only continue to grow weaker_.

There was no point in living if the one person he truly cared for was going to be gone from this world.

"Takumi?" Something tugged on the hem of his sleeve.

The young man lowered his downcast eyes to a street rat. Ragged clothes, disheveled hair, but noticeably not dirty. Much too clean for an orphan in Kuuto.

"Mei-sensei wanted to see you."

Takumi blinked several times until the blurriness disappeared.

"Let's go see her then."

He followed the orphan to Mother Teresa's base of operations.

Within the past couple of years, former shrine maiden-in-training had transformed that abandoned slum full of orphans into a formal orphanage. With Takumi's help, Mei was able to form relations with a variety of Kuuto's workers, establishing a system in which Mei would select children old enough to work for skilled laborers in exchange that the orphans simply learn a trade. At first, it had only been Takumi who produced relatively steady donations, but recently more people of Kuuto would contribute when they realize that Mei was taking care of the homeless issue of orphans.

Mei mainly used to money to feed orphans and saved little by little to purchase construction materials to make sturdy living spaces for the youngsters. She didn't have enough money to hire men, so Takumi had built a majority of them by himself about a year ago. The slum was now littered with durable miniature shacks along the sides of the stone walls of Kuuto. With Mei's hard work, diligence, and careful eye, the place had transformed into something completely different. The orphans no longer had the empty look of desolation in their eyes, but instead were filled with purpose. The kids weren't as dirty anymore, some even appeared clean with clothes that weren't too tattered at the edges. They laughed more often, they knew how to play, they had blankets and a roof over their heads when they slept, they didn't feel the pangs of hunger as much.

Their lives were better because of Mei. And they could even envision a future for themselves if they continued their informal 'training' with the workers of Kuuto, which was a far more precious gift they had received from her than anything else. They used to worry so much about the present, that they couldn't have imagined the future, but with Mei supporting them, they had that privilege. They also knew that other people were supporting them, one of those people being Takumi.

Several children squealed when they recognized the familiar face walk into the small courtyard.

A young boy yelled, "Takumi!" And the cry alerted all the other orphans.

One tugged Takumi's sleeve. "Did'ya bring us presents?"

Another jumped on his back, forcing an impromptu piggyback ride. "Who'd y'fight y'sterday?"

"Taku, I made this f'you!" A small girl shyly handed him a bouquet of tiny flowers, most likely picked from the growing garden on the other side of the slum, gardened by Mei and the children.

There were different types of medicine. Some that healed physical pain, and others that alleviated the non-physical. To Takumi, children were the latter. He could already feel their innocent, bright eyes melting away the overwhelming pressure of existential crisis from five minutes ago. They had so much innocence and delighted in so much of the little things of life that it was impossible for Takumi, a disenchanted being of a second life, to hold nothing but absolute love for them. Of course, they were sometimes annoying brats and unreasonably stubborn, however Takumi knew that he would sell his body if they were ever in danger.

Maybe they knew that too, and clung to him even more.

The one who had first found Takumi and brought him there raised his arms protectively around the young man.

"Hey, back off! He has to talk to Mei-sensei!" he shouted over their excited clamor. The children immediately calmed down and retreated so that the two could make their way to the 'kitchen' area where Mei was chopping vegetables into bite-size bits.

"Hello, Takumi, are you hungry? Dinner will be served soon," she said in a soft voice.

He blinked. He hadn't realized that it was already so late into the day. Sure enough, when Takumi tilted his head back, the sky was blazing scarlet with the sun getting ready to go down to allow the moon to rise.

It was so red. Almost painful to look at because the passionate color would only remind him of-

"-kumi?"

Takumi blinked again, focusing his gaze back to Mei's concerned one. "Yeah, I'll eat."

He didn't want to go back to the brothel to see his mother's guilty face anyway. The kid next to him let out a cheerful whoop of delight and skipped away, presumably to share the news that Takumi would be joining them for their evening meal.

"Could you stir the pot please?"

Takumi shuffled over to the huge ironcast black stewpot hanging above a burning fire. Inside a hodgepodge of sprouts, beans, vegetables, and spices were boiling in bubbling water. He took a wooden ladle and began stirring the soup absentmindedly.

"The gods told me that someone was in great need of help."

Takumi didn't even pause in his movements. "Is that so?"

Mother Teresa was probably referring to Princess Yona. Was she going to tell him that he has to help the princess?

"They were talking about you."

And then he stopped stirring. "I never knew that you could speak to gods."

Mei was infuriatingly calm both inside and out, a stark contrast to the tumultuous storm whirling in Takumi.

"I do not. We only hear their voices when they wish to tell us something."

"And what else did they tell you about me?"

Mei stopped her chopping and returned Takumi's piercing gaze, looking at him seriously in the eye. "I knew someone who had also fled the castle that day when all who worshipped the gods were banished by General Yu-Hon. He was special, because the gods listened to his prayers. His name is Ik-Soo and the gods have told me that he now lives under the mountains of the Wind Tribe land."

Takumi stared at her.

"You are needed by the prophet."

His pragmatic side took over before Mei's words could shock him. There was no way Takumi was going to get shell-shocked two times in one day. He didn't like being taken off-guard, and he was definitely not going to let some gods' words dictate how to live his life.

"Well, the prophet is going to have to wait. I don't have plans of leaving Kuuto anytime soon."

Mei frowned. "The tides of this world will always have a way going against a mere mortal's plans."

Takumi dryly laughed. "Then it's a good thing that I'm not a 'mere mortal'. Do you want me to add wood to the fire? It's not as hot it should be."

Displeased at how he changed subject but accepting the distraction nonetheless, Mei nodded. She finished cutting all the vegetables and was dropping them into the pot as Takumi gingerly stacked the kindling.

Dinner was pleasant. After eating and helping clean bowls and spoons, Takumi put himself at the whims of the orphans, answering their bombardment of questions, playing with them, and amusing them. He didn't leave until the sun was completely gone, and the moon had risen above their heads in its stead. Stars were gleaming brightly, casting a light softer than the sun's strong rays.

Before he left, Mei asked Takumi, "Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"About the gods? Why they're trying to speak to you?"

Takumi shook his head. "I don't want anything to do with gods, or prophecies, for that matter."

Mei watched him walk away with sad eyes. She was afraid that the gods would punish Takumi for his arrogant words, and worried that something unfortunate might befall upon him if he didn't do as they wish soon. Mei also wondered what he meant when he had said that he wasn't a 'mere mortal'. Perhaps the gods chose him for a purpose because they knew that Takumi was no 'mere mortal'.

And perhaps Takumi was aware that the gods knew of him, which was why he was even more unyielding to listen to the voice of the gods.

* * *

x

* * *

Ugh, school has been taking up so much time and it's a good kind of busy, but I wish I had more time to write :(

Every time I start a chapter I think that I'll get into the main plot, but noooo that's not what happens.

Oh, and there's a new cover photo to show that he's older!

Thank you to guest reviewers, **Nano, Keelan1210, de junco** (dude you gotta read the manga, it's got so much more in there) **, Kitty Kat Vixen, Gerbilfriend, Mihoriru** (thanks for noticing my attempt at contrasting Yona's impression of him and his actual personality!) **, NinaEllaBella, F-L-U-F-F-Y Pengwen, Cake Bird, Eliinez, Arkeisios** (thank you so much!) **, fate's mask**.


	6. Last Fight

x

* * *

"You shouldn't go down to the rings tonight."

Takumi looked up from his gambling cards to the empty face of Ogi who was desperately attempting a poker expression.

"It's only going to be my last time," he replied, tossing down a card into the pile along with three coins.

A gangster sitting at the right grumbled before putting down his own card and a single coin.

Ogi scowled, setting down his entire hand. "I fold."

The gangster snickered, "How many times has it been now? We've only played three times and you gave up before the pile even really started, are you dumb or what?"

"Hey, I just have crappy luck," Ogi snapped. "I'm not dumb!"

"Don't worry, Ogi, you're not dumb," Takumi feigned concern as he and the remaining player continued playing.

Ogi muttered some unclean words under his breath. "...that was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

It wasn't long until they held their last card. Takumi laid his last piece down, knowing it wasn't the best card and that the other man most likely had a better one.

And judging by the man's smirk, Takumi concluded that he had lost. He sighed as he watched the gangster wasting no time collecting all the coins on the table, shaking Takumi's hand before leaving the east corner. He just lost all of the money he had pickpocketed yesterday.

The younger man smacked the pipe out of Ogi's hand before the latter could light it with a match.

"Smoking is bad for you," he said simply.

"I want my drugs," Ogi snarked back. There was a moment of silence between them, sitting at the table, as they watched people going about their daily lives in the streets.

"I got a tip, the other day, that the Sky soldiers have been asking about the underground rings," Ogi said in a casual voice. "They took down Yang's gambling house three weeks ago, y'know."

Takumi knew what he meant. For some reason, the Sky soldiers of recently had been cracking down on illegal activities in Kuuto. They raided gambling houses, black markets, local mercenary groups, and drug businesses. Rumors that the underground fighting rings were the next target were flying around, and though it had deterred some people from participating, it hadn't stopped the majority.

Takumi personally didn't care whether or not if the fighting rings got shut down; with his mother's sickly condition and refusal to accept money earned from thieving and fighting, he'd need another thing to do anyway. Tonight was to be his last time. A celebratory farewell, of sorts, as thanks for all the people who had betted on him, helped him make money, gave him tips on brawling, taught him things he wouldn't have learned at other places.

"After tonight, I won't be going anymore," Takumi said.

Ogi's ears perked up. "Is that so? Damn, a lot of people I know are gonna be disappointed to hear that, you were their favorite. Who's your last fight?"

"Someone's coming from Mapo, he's won against Ten, but lost to Ji-Ook."

Ogi propped his chin with the palm of hand. "Oh, that's going to be tough. You've lost against Ji-Ook, too. Do you think you can win your last fight?"

The young man didn't answer, but shrugged instead and changed the topic. "I need a job."

"I know a group that's planning on sneaking into the neighboring governor's house for some light pocket money," Ogi offered.

Takumi leaned against his chair, looking up at the blue sky. "I need a _legal_ job," he amended.

The older man paused that. "Are you going _straight?_ Did Yeri finally get to you?"

Something like that, Takumi mused. The fact that she was sick.

"Something like that," he echoed his thoughts. "Just keep an ear out for jobs for me, please?"

Ogi held out a hand, eyes pleading silently, to which Takumi rolled his eyes. Seriously, who was the younger one here?

He dropped some spare change in the outstretched hand, enough for a small meal. Takumi was about to leave the east corner when Ogi suddenly shouted.

"Our boy Taku's having his last fight down in the underground rings tonight and there's a good chance he's gonna win! Who wants to bet with me?"

Numerous voices lit up at the announcement. Takumi shot a nasty glare over his shoulder at Ogi, disgruntled that the old man had spread the word. Everyone from the East district was going to know about it, at this rate.

Stepping out of the east corner, Takumi entered the main road instead of navigating through the back alleys. He had also stopped running on the rooftops after he had grown bigger since it attracted too much attention. Dozens of bodies brushed past him, many of which carried fat purses and heavily jeweled metal bracelets and rings. Takumi's hand twitched when it came in contact with loosely tied decorative knife, its owner being much to preoccupied flirting with one of the girls running a tea stand.

His fingers were itchy.

It wouldn't hurt to also go on one last pickpocket run. A rich merchant's sheltered daughter accompanied by equally decorated bodyguards. A visiting aristocrat from the next city. A noble who lived in Kuuto but never learned to keep his pockets tightly closed. So many people, so oblivious, not protective of their precious coffers and coinsacks.

And after about half an hour, Takumi would have to admit that maybe, he went a little too far. He actually had to keep a hand in his pockets to prevent all the little trinkets from swinging around in his robe. He took a quick trip to a trustworthy pawn shop that knew how to avoid suspicion of people searching for lost items and traded the goods for miscellaneous products in return. A big roll of warm fabric, several bronze wristbands, strong sewing thread, and a nice amount of coins. It was a good haul. He piled all of the stuff into a rucksack, slinging it over a shoulder.

Mother Teresa would be pleased, Takumi knew as he carried the traded items over to the orphanage. As usual, the kids saw him and ran towards him, making a fuss before he could tell them to calm down.

"Hey- _hey_ , don't pull on my hair, _ow_ ," he winced through gritted teeth when one child lightly tugged on an earring. He didn't make it very far into the district when Mei found him.

"Oh my," she said in amusement as she observed the scene.

Orphans were hanging off of every limb, from his arms, clinging onto his legs like cats, sitting on his shoulders and one even clung onto Takumi's head. The whole town would have busted their guts if they ever witnessed something like this. Everyone of Kuuto's underside only knew Takumi as the underground ring fighter, merciless when it came to fists, not as someone who put up with orphans.

Though Takumi seemed cold, Mei knew that he had a soft spot for orphans. Why else would he come here weekly to drop off supplies and money to support them? And why else would he be patient enough to let the kids mess with him like this?

" _Oi, no pulling on the earrings!_ "

Though Mei would have liked to watch a bit more, that was enough fooling around.

Wiping her dusty hands on her worn apron, Mei clapped her hands lightly to attract their attention. "Children, let's stop torturing the man."

Obediently, the kids climbed off of Takumi, leaving the young man relieved of the heavy burdens. Takumi delicately adjusted his ear bands with a light scowl on his face as he followed Mei into the orphanage, still trailed by several orphans, like stray kittens.

"Taku, are you gonna stay for dinner?" One small girl asked, Haru, Takumi remembered her name.

A boy, about the same age, nearly pushed the girl out of the way, "Hey, did'ya get somethin' fer us?"

Haru bristled. "Eiji, move!"

"Now, now, don't fight or else Mother Teresa will yell at all of us," Takumi intoned, reaching into an inner pocket and pulling out a whole bunch of braided bracelets of leftover colored fabric strips.

He distributed it to the two kids. "Here, pass them around, and yeah, I'm staying for dinner."

The two kids visibly brightened, happily taking the bracelets into their hands, and dashed off to the nearest orphan. Takumi had a soft smile when he overheard them asking for the orphan's favorite color and walked over to the open air kitchen at the side of the orphanage slum. The word 'slum' wasn't quite the correct description anymore, the place was too cleaned up to be considered one. The small district corner was messy, with scattered toys and random objects, but not dirty.

"I got fabric, sewing thread, metal wristbands, and some change," Takumi listed as he took laid them out on a table.

Mei nodded approvingly, running a hand through the clothing material. "Some of kids are having their growth spurts, they need new clothes. This is good timing."

"Who's growing?" Takumi asked curiously.

A voice piped up behind the both of them. "Me!"

They turned around, seeing a boy who was barely at the start of his adolescent years. Takumi recognized the kid.

"Shouta," Takumi greeted, ruffling the kid's rust colored dark hair.

Shouta was one of the older kids in the orphanage, around twelve years old, and had been with Mei from the very beginning. He was kind of Takumi's favorite, not that he treated any of the orphans differently; the boy was quick with his mind and feet, polite, listened to Mei, and took responsibility helping around the orphanage once he was old enough. When Takumi stopped running on the roofs of Kuuto, Shouta picked up the habit in his stead as a messenger boy for Ogi. Although Mei hadn't said it explicitly, but Takumi knew that she expected him to keep a careful eye on Shouta specifically. The former shrine maiden was hoping that Shouta would follow Takumi's footsteps in taking care of the orphanage. Mei also depended on Shouta to act as the oldest brother' to gather the orphans when Takumi wasn't around.

"How've you been?" Takumi asked the younger boy.

Shouta shrugged. "Same old. Haru and Eiji won't stop fighting, Yuuma and Ryouta started helping the craftsman nearby," he referred to the other orphans.

He added, "By the way, Ogi's been spreading word about y'last fight."

"Hasn't even been more than one hour and the old man's already yammering his big mouth," Takumi sighed. Ogi's only livelihood was through gossip; he wasn't physically skilled enough to do anything else.

"And it's 'your'," he corrected the pronunciation.

Shouta scrunched his face. " _'Your'_ last fight," he repeated carefully.

It was only with Shouta that Takumi bothered to correct his speech. If Shouta was going to take more responsibility for the orphanage, he'd have to learn how to speak smoothly or else the more wealthy, educated people of Kuuto wouldn't respect the orphan. It sometimes irked the younger boy, but Shouta understood this and took the corrections to heart.

"You're going to stop fighting?" Mei inquired. "Why is that?"

Takumi sat down on a chair. "I need a legal job, thought I'd go straight from now on."

He didn't mention anything about Yeri, the sickness, or the money needed to acquire the medicine.

Mei smiled happily as she put away the fabric roll, thread, and coins. "Really? That's very good, I'm happy to hear that."

"I'm not," Shouta grouched. "Takumi's cooler at fighting."

"Shouta, what did I tell you about Takumi's activities?" Mei gently chided.

"That he does illegal, dangerous, violent things," the boy answered with an eye roll. "But can I at least go to his last fight?"

"No," she replied with no hesitation, her back turned to the other two.

Shouta turned to Takumi, the second resort. "Can I?"

Unfortunately, Takumi wasn't helpful.

"If Mei-sensei says no, it's a no," he said apologetically to the boy's disappointed face.

"I'm still gonna go," the boy declared.

Mei turned around with a serious expression. "Shouta, you will not be going. Are we clear?"

"No, we're opaque," Shouta retorted in a snooty tone. Takumi raised his eyebrows at the counter reply. No one spoke to Mother Teresa like that in the orphanage.

Mei laid a hand on her hip, narrowing her eyes at the stubborn adolescent and then turned to Takumi. "Did you teach him that response?"

"Uh, sorry," Takumi said, feigning embarrassment.

Mei sighed, shaking her head, walking to the orphanage kitchen. Behind her back, Takumi held out a fist to which Shouta happily bumped with one of his own.

The three of them prepped dinner for the orphans. It was the usual meal: a hot stew of whatever cheapest vegetable and spice on the market that week, with boiled salted potatoes, and grilled greens. Takumi and Shouta helped with the setup and cleanup, the former moving especially quickly when putting away bowls and spoons in hopes that he could leave before Mei could talk to him about gods or prophecies again.

But when he got to the orphan's district exit, he hadn't left fast enough.

"Have you thought about it?"

Takumi bit back a sigh. "Thought about what?"

Mei was extraordinarily patient. She'd have to be, running an orphanage full of brats who didn't know what it's like to have a normal upbringing.

"The prophet in the Wind mountains. Have you thought about it?"

"I already have. I'm not leaving Kuuto anytime soon," he said. He tried to make it sound like the decision was final.

Mei wiped her hands clean on her stained apron, almost in a slightly anxious fashion. Takumi observed her in an almost sympathetic view. She was growing old, now almost thirty years old, which was considered old in this world's time since human longevity wouldn't become a concept until living standards got better. Mei reminded him of the head matron sometimes, both appeared frail but had an iron will that was stronger than any muscle. Takumi noticed how her tanned hands were tinted red and her skin was painfully dry; he wondered if he could swipe a body lotion bowl from the brothel's storage. He could recall a time when her hands had been smooth and pale so long ago, before she had started the entire orphanage district. A shrine maiden-in-training would have never had to do manual labor like all the other commoners of Kouka, but Mei wasn't welcome as a religious member to the palace anymore. She's had to learn how to take care of herself.

"Hadn't it been your wish to leave Kuuto and travel the world? I recall you mentioning it when you were younger," Mei noted.

She remembered years ago, a young Takumi had been itching to leave the capital city of Kouka, claiming that he wanted to be far, far away from the castle. Why the change of heart?

Takumi wished she would stop talking. Mei was edging too close to his personal reasons.

When he didn't respond, Mei pushed further. "Is something holding you back in Kuuto?"

She took his silence as a 'yes'.

Mei knew Takumi didn't forget things easily. Among all the people she had been acquainted in her lifetime, from the highly esteemed scholars in the palace to the elderly doctors of Kuuto, he had razor sharp memories. Even though she knew this, Mei still echoed her statements from before, the last time they had spoken about this topic, in hope that she would remind him.

"You are needed by the proph-"

" _I know_ ," Takumi snapped, stress wearing down his patience. "I know, I know, I get it, okay? I don't need to be told twice, much less by _the gods-_ "

He said that last part almost with a sneer.

"-that my _'help'_ is needed by a bumbling prophet hiding away in the mountains."

Mei blinked at the sudden scathing tone, she had never seen Takumi lose control of his temper like that during the entire time she knew him since he had been a boy. Even during the stereotypical 'rebellious' adolescent years, Takumi never fully let the anger get the better of him. Although he wasn't exactly exuding 'fury', he was always so composed that any slight release of anger was surprising enough.

"Is something wrong?" Mei approached him, putting a hand on his forearm. He didn't jerk away, which she took as a good sign.

She picked up one of his hands and held it in her two palms, feeling nostalgic of a time when her hand had been bigger than his, ten years ago.

She murmured aloud, voicing her musings, "Has it been ten years already? Ten years since we started this orphanage together? It's grown so much since then, and I'm happier than I could ever be about how far we've come now. Throughout that time, you would always talk about traveling the world, you wanted to leave Kuuto, so what's holding you back?"

"I'm not leaving Kuuto until I get certain...matters resolved," Takumi told her. He didn't elaborate further and took his hand away.

"Is this calling, being needed by the prophet, part of a prophecy?"

Mei paused for a moment, contemplating on the answer. "I cannot say for sure."

He angled the question differently. "So, it is part of a prophecy?"

Mei shook her head. "I cannot say that for sure, either."

Takumi let out air through his nose. "Well, prophecies fulfill themselves with or without a person's willingness, so I don't need to take action. This prophet's going to wait, for as long as I want to take my time."

"Takumi, I don't think that is the best idea," Mei warned him. "The gods will be angry."

They aren't my gods, Takumi wanted to tell her. I'm not a part of this world, he wanted to say.

Instead, he shrugged. "They'll have to deal with it."

He left the orphan district right after saying that, not wanting to wait for Mei's response to his cavalier attitude towards deities. He was supposed to pick up the first batch of the senjusou medicine from the best clinic in Kuuto, and the shop was about to close soon.

When he got there, the door of the clinic had a small bell that jingled merrily when it swung. The doctor was at the counter, surrounded by bags and boxes of dried leaves and glasses of oils gleaned from animal fats. With a chiseled pencil, the old man was marking words and numbers on filed papers that looked like a catalogue of medicines. The doctor looked up from his papers as Takumi handed over a sack of coins across the clinic counter. It was down payment, out of the head matron's coffers, for the next couple of prescriptions of medicine until Takumi could afford the medicine on his own salary, from legal means of money making.

"How is she doing?" the doctor asked, referring to Yeri. He took the coin sack and emptied its contents into his weathered hand, quickly counting the sum. He knew about her condition and had been involved in the process about what method of medicine, dose, and prescription Yeri should take for the senjusou plant.

"Weak," Takumi replied shortly. The older man knowingly nodded, familiar with the symptoms and sickness from experience. It was a strange disease, afflicting people of all ages and health, mainly old people, however it could tragically end a young person's life as well.

The doctor reached underneath the counter and pulled out two lightly wrapped packets, both labelled differently.

"This first package is for tea, there's a distributed amount of grinded medicinal plants for alleviating body cramps and the senjusou plant. Five pinches of tea into the boiling pot for every cup," he explained. "She can drink the tea anytime, though I recommend after every meal and before sleeping."

He then held out the second packet. "These are pills, senjusou grinded up into dust, mixed with fish oil, and compressed into small swallow-sized bits. She should eat two every three or four hours. If the tea or pills don't mix well with her stomach, worsens her condition, or makes her feel ill, return them immediately and we'll figure out another prescription for her."

Takumi gingerly took the two brown packages, bowing slightly. "Thank you, I will. Have a good evening, doctor."

"Of course, take care of your mother," the doctor kindly responded, waving a wrinkled hand.

* * *

x

* * *

Down at the underground rings, Takumi was happy to see a lot of familiar faces who had turned up to see him fight for the last time. He spent the time before the scheduled fight greeting them in good nature, a little bittersweet that he wouldn't be participating in the underground rings after tonight.

The crowd was huge. It was one of the biggest turnout of people Takumi had ever seen. It was rowdy, messy, claustrophobic, and packed. Usually the spectators were all middle-aged men, wanting to see some action, but tonight there were women and even a number of gangly teens.

Takumi recognized one of the younger kids, Shouta, who excitedly ran up to him with sparkling eyes.

"Takumi! Takumi! Are you gonna win?" The orphan asked animatedly.

"Shouta, you're not supposed to be here," Takumi almost scolded.

"But it's your _last fight_ ," the boy pleaded.

Takumi shook his head. "Mother Teresa is going to kill me when she finds out you came here."

"I won't tell Mei-sensei," Shouta promised eagerly. "I won't tell her anything, really, I'm serious."

"Nah, she'll know," he muttered and cast his gaze across the sea of onlookers.

"Oh hey, old-man-Ogi-who-can't-bet-for-his-life-yet-always-tries," Takumi said when he saw the 'face' of the eastern district.

"Call me normally," Ogi fumed. "And I'm not that old."

Takumi nudged Shouta towards Ogi's direction. "Look after this kid, make sure he doesn't get in trouble."

Shouta tried to protest. "Hey, I'm not a kid anymore, I-"

"Yeah, yeah," drawled Takumi as he took off his piercings. He tossed them to Shouta, who carefully tucked the gold bands into a safe pocket, looking extremely pleased that he had been given the responsibility to look after the earrings.

Ogi spoke up once more. "You better win. A lot of people are depending on me to get some wins tonight."

"Lucky for you, I don't plan on losing tonight," Takumi answered in a light tone, bandaging his hands while hopping up and down, warming up his legs and stretching.

"Good luck!" Shouta yelled from Ogi's side. Shouta beamed when Takumi returned the cheer with a grin.

He looked up across the ring to where his competition stood. The man from Mapo was a mercenary guard for nobles. Takumi remembered the man's fights with Ten and Ji-Ook; the mercenary had been really good with grappling techniques, his upper physique having more muscles than Takumi's, throwing strong punches that resembled heavy hammer swings than quick jabs. On the other hand, the man lacked lower body strength.

Takumi eyed his opponent's slightly spindly legs. Looked like someone skipped out on multiple leg days.

The referee held up a hand towards the two of them, beckoning them to come to the center of the ring.

The referee wasted no times explaining the logistics. "Rules are rules, you both have fought here before. You guys already know. Give these people a fight worthy of throwing their money."

"Overheard it was your last fight," the Mapo mercenary asked. "I'm not going to go easy."

Takumi shook his hand with a firm grip. "I'm glad to hear that."

They looked hard into each other's eyes and Takumi knew that this man meant what he said. He wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Ready," the referee shouted over the voices of the packed spectators.

Takumi raised his arms and lowered with a stance, feeling the sand crunch under his bare feet. The mercenary mirrored him.

"Fight!"

The roar of the crowd was deafening, but the sound rolled over Takumi's ears as he zeroed every drop of his focus onto the person in front of him.

He swerved left, narrowly dodging a swing.

The mercenary was definitely a heavy hitter.

Takumi ducked, avoiding a wrestle grab.

They exchanged some grappling techniques. A hand reached out for Takumi's collar, but he swatted it away, countering with an arm lock.

The people jeered.

The mercenary easily broke out of Takumi's lock, breaking the hold and trying a trip.

A part of a good underground fight was giving a good spar in the first five minutes. Don't let the crowd deduce a clear cut winner and loser immediately, make them unsure who would be the victor. That way, the people will take a gamble. Will it be the right guy or the left? Who seems stronger? That person seems like he's going to win, or is the other guy? Who's faster? Stronger? Smarter? The money pile had to grow before the fighters could actually go all out.

Until the money was worth fighting for, Takumi and the mercenary would have test the waters, get a feel of each other before they get serious.

Takumi already knew that the mercenary wouldn't stand a chance against kicks and spins. He'd just have to be careful of getting caught into a chokehold or something.

They exchanged more blows, Takumi took one just to see how bad it was.

He let in one punch get through his guard and land on a forearm.

The mercenary smirked a little when he saw how Takumi gritted his teeth.

Okay, not exactly the best idea, Takumi determined as he ignored the bruising pain. The blow had hurt. A lot. But at least he could gauge his opponent's approximate strength. The mercenary was still holding back, so Takumi would be in bigger trouble if he got hit later into the fight. He'd have to count on his faster agility to dodge the mercenary's fists.

In another minute or so, they would have quickened their pace and gotten serious, but at the back of his mind, underneath the focus on the fight in front of him, Takumi felt the disturbance in the air

A sense of unease rippling through the crowd, a wave of panic starting at the very back, and making its way to the front.

A punch nicked Takumi's cheek when he got distracted by a shout.

" _Sky soldiers! They're raiding the underground!_ "

And then the dam of hysteria broke. Everyone shouted and scrambled in fright, running away from the authorities. The underground was dimly lit, which didn't help with people's visions. It was extremely dangerous, people were going to get trampled.

A large hand grabbed Takumi's shoulder before he could walk away.

"We'll settle this later," the mercenary yelled over the screams. Takumi returned the man's gaze with one of understanding and nodded. They both parted ways, the mercenary immediately blended into the shifting mob, probably to escape the soldiers.

Takumi took a quick scan of his surroundings, observing that the soldiers were coming from the main entrance. Dozens of bodies brushed past him, if he wasn't careful, he would be pushed to the ground. Most people were fleeing the opposite direction to another exit; he was about to join them when a kid wailed his name.

" _Takumi!_ "

Takumi whirled around at Shouta's terror stricken voice, his hazel bright eyes landing on panicked brown ones. A Sky soldier was dragging the young boy away, Shouta kicking and trying his best to get out of the grip, but it was no use fighting against a grown man.

Takumi sprinted over, pushing to the opposite direction against the fleeing bodies, punching soldiers out of his way until he reached Shouta. Wrenching the soldier's hands off the boy's arm, Takumi shoved Shouta behind him, towards the exit where everyone was running towards.

" _Get out of here_ ," he hissed over a shoulder.

The younger boy swallowed in regret, nodding vigorously, and fled. Takumi caught sight of Ogi wrapping a protective arm around Shouta's shoulders, leading them out safely away from the Sky soldiers' chase.

Takumi would have disappeared, being content knowing that Shouta was safe, if he hadn't seen other people caught by the Sky soldiers. There were too many people he recognized: the baker who consistently provided the brothel with savory bread, the jewelry merchant who helped them sell their cheap bracelets, the craftsman who taught orphans to learn his trade, the seamstress who embroidered all of the oiran's beautiful clothes. If Takumi helped them, he probably wouldn't have enough time to escape himself.

Still, Takumi went over to each and every one of them, tearing them out of the Sky soldiers' grips, ensuring that each got to run away to safety. He didn't wait for their thanks and just focused on getting as many people out of the army's reach.

It wasn't too difficult, though troublesome, fighting Sky soldiers was easier than the underground rings.

They relied too much on their weapons and armor. Their armor weighed them down, they moved much too slowly. They didn't know how to fight in cramped quarters, unlike Takumi, who had to take down opponents in a ring with less floor space than a small room. The soldiers tripped over each other, now distracted by Takumi instead of attempting to arrest the spectators of the illegal underground fights. They trailed after him and he ducked, rolled, and wove in between their ranks, easily breaking up their rallies. He kept up the chase until the last of the people he cared about were gone, out of the underground.

Once he saw the seamstress leave, Takumi stopped moving and let the soldiers force thick ropes onto his wrists.

The Sky soldiers dragged him out of the underground and Takumi vaguely recognized the general standing in front of a number of other unlucky citizens bound in ropes.

"You're all under arrest," General Joo-Doh loudly declared.

* * *

x

* * *

The current ages for the characters are listed at the previous chapter.

Thank you for reading, for the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's kind of rushed because I'm hoping to go into the plot within the next three chapters.


	7. Getting a Job

x

* * *

As Takumi leaned against the uncomfortable stone wall, he wondered when did Joo-Doh, the captain of the Imperial Guard's first squad, become the Sky army's general?

Considering how he usually kept tabs on whatever available details of Kouka's military internal affairs, it was surprising that a promotion like Joo-Doh's had gone unnoticed in the stream of information gossip. Ogi would have mentioned in passing, but the man of the Kuuto's East side underbelly had said nothing. If the old geezer had known and told him, Takumi would've at least remembered it.

Takumi shifted his weight. The stone walls were unbearably uneven and slightly jagged, digging into his back, and as much as he didn't want to use the wall as support, he was tired. He needed something to lean against.

The taste in his mouth was growing rancid. He wanted water.

It had been roughly five hours since the fourth, fifth, and seventh squads of the Imperial Guard had surprised the underground fighting rings with a raid. After the Sky soldiers had rounded up all of the unlucky citizens, binding them in a long line with a single cord, they were marched down the silent roads at the crack of dawn. Right before the sun had begun to rise. Although the streets of Kuuto that led the way to the Hiryuu Castle were barren, everyone knew that the word would be spread by those who had fled the scene: Sky soldiers had stormed the underground rings, and this time, they took prisoners. In all of the previous raids, the soldiers had simply seized the illegal profits, booking citations against business owners who were secretly conducting under-the-counter transactions and giving fines to the citizens involved. But they had taken prisoners this time. Their own citizens.

It wouldn't have been much of a problem had the arrested citizens been cruel, indecent, unwanted people. But it wasn't that case.

General Joo-Doh made a mistake, Takumi thought, as he examined his cellmates and the other faces in their jails for the umpteenth time. They weren't of the raggedy, eye-sore type of people. His fellow jail mates were average Kuuto natives, most of which were honest, hard-working lower class people who just happened to be caught enjoying some illegal entertainment. Stall vendors, simple store owners, craftsmen, farmers, merchants, etc. These types of citizens wouldn't have been involved in illegal gambling and bets if the Hiryuu Castle administration had done a better job of entertaining its local city.

But that was beside the point. The whole situation itself was strange. It was odd that the military had suddenly begun to care about Kuuto's illegal trades. Ever since Emperor Il had taken the throne, unlawful businesses had flourished and criminal activities had grown to an all time high, inside and outside of Kuuto. The emperor's approach towards both internal and external affairs of Kouka was so passive and lax that there almost seemed to be no laws at times. There was barely law enforcement in Kuuto itself, only basic accountability. The roads outside of the city were more dangerous than ever because there were no Sky militia, nor any other tribe, taking responsibility for safe travels. It had been like this ever since the first year of Emperor Il's reign, so it was slightly disturbing that the Sky soldiers were targeting Kuuto.

Was Emperor Il behind it all?

Takumi didn't believe that; if anything, he was more willing to bet money that it had something to do with former first squad captain Joo-Doh's promotion to Sky General. Takumi barely knew anything about the man, but the fact that the promotion had gone unnoticed couldn't have been simply a coincidence.

Takumi was more concerned with _why_ the Sky army brought them here, in the first ring inside the palace ground walls. No commoner ever stepped foot inside the palace grounds unless they were being held for high crime. Many of his fellow imprisoned townspeople were shaking in their skins with anxiety, their worst fear being the death penalty, though Takumi doubted that it would be their punishment.

The Sky soldiers hadn't told them anything, not even when they shoved them into their prisons and locked the metal bars. And they've been just sitting around, waiting for a verdict.

Takumi had been dozing on and off for the entire time. Waking only when one of his cellmates would ask him a question or a soldier would walk in, and lightly snoozing when it was quiet.

"Takumi?"

He turned to his right, it was a woodshop apprentice Takumi vaguely recognized. They weren't close, but around the same age and a simple fellow city acquaintance.

"Do you think we're going to die?" The man asked nervously.

Takumi focused his gaze on the other side of the prison bars, where a guard was sitting down, sharpening his pocket knife with a wet stone. The soldier was pretty relaxed, not strung tight, as if he believed that the prisoners weren't important or dangerous enough to be alert around.

"No," Takumi decided, speaking quietly. "They're not going to kill us."

The butcher apprentice perked up with a bit of hope. "You really think so?"

"They didn't round us up to kill us, that's for sure," Takumi said as a note of finality.

Takumi guessed that they were going to be interrogated. That would be the best circumstance. The soldiers had taken regular Kuuto citizens, they hadn't tried to grab the underground fighters, the ring masters, or the match organizers. They had taken ordinary people, perhaps to learn more about Kuuto's illegal activities? Out of all the unauthorized businesses in Kuuto, the most popular ones for the townspeople were the underground fighting rings and gambling houses. Anyone could partake in those two.

It wasn't until about twenty minutes later when something finally happened. A group of soldiers walked in, one distinguished from the rest by the light blue piece of cloth hanging from a shoulder, presumably a captain. With some low mutters between all of them, a guard took out a ring of keys and unlocked the bars adjacent to Takumi's cell. The group of soldiers singled out a captive, taking him out of the prison and taken outside of the hall, the captain leading the way.

Takumi really hoped it was just an interrogation. A ball of worry gnawed the pit of his stomach when ten minutes passed and the group of soldiers returned without the captive and instead took a second prisoner. Hopefully they moved the person to another cell?

This continued until they completely cleared each cell, one by one, until they reached Takumi's. However, instead of grabbing a seemingly random person, the captain called out Takumi.

"You, the one in all black clothes," the captain pointed out. "Get out."

Takumi pushed against the crooked wall, not rushing his steps as he walked out of the prison. His eyes narrowed when a guard stepped up with wooden handcuff blocks. They hadn't cuffed all the previous people. Did they know that he fought in the rings? Even though he really didn't want to be restrained, Takumi didn't give the slightest show of resistance when they locked the wooden blocks over his wrists. The key was given to the captain who jerked his chin to the prison exit.

Morning light stung Takumi's eyes when they briefly stepped outside and entered another room. There was a plain wooden table with two chairs, nothing else that looked threatening. No torture devices, bright light entering through the paneled windows, no blood stains.

Oh. Nice.

It seemed that it would be more like an interview rather than interrogation. Takumi was pushed into the chair facing away from the door, the other seat was left empty since the captain stood behind him. There was another minute of waiting when he heard heavy footsteps.

General Joo-Doh sat down across the table, his stern eyes weighing down on Takumi. Joo-Doh was tall and no longer wore the recognizable uniform for the Imperial Guard. Takumi noticed that the older man had gained a scar on his face since the last time they've met, but he doubted that the latter remembered their two encounters.

"What's your name?" Joo-Doh's voice sounded just as gruff and unfriendly as it had nearly six years ago.

"Takumi."

"You fought in the underground rings."

"No," he attempted to deny.

The general narrowed his eyes. "We have proof that it was your fight against a mercenary last night."

Takumi internally shrugged, it had been an attempt. "Then yes."

"Since you took part in illegal underground fighting and gambling, we'd normally have you arrested and sentenced to prison, but-"

General Joo-Doh paused. "-why are you smiling?"

Takumi wiped off the smile he didn't know he had been wearing until now. "Sorry."

"Do you have something you want to say?" The older man said in a menacing tone.

The younger man leaned back in his chair. Takumi knew he really shouldn't answer that question if he wanted to walk away without any repercussions, but the five hours of little rest and sitting in a dinghy prison was wearing him down.

"Well, two things, actually," Takumi said before he could shut his mouth. "One, why is the general of the Sky Army doing a simple interrogation and two, everybody knows that no one cares about what's illegal or not right now, so it's funny that you say that you would 'normally' arrest and sentence us to prison."

The captain's hand swung from Takumi's peripheral and squarely slapped his right cheek.

"Be respectful," the man snapped harshly.

Takumi's cheek stung badly and any remaining effort of being civil flew out the window. He crossed his arms tightly and held a sour expression.

The young man was now in a foul mood.

General Joo-Doh spoke slowly, ignoring Takumi's anger. "To answer your two points, I'm conducting this interrogation because I'm leading the crackdowns on each illegal trade for the past few months. Now that I've become the general, I've taken it into my own hands to properly manage the criminal activities within the country, starting first with this city."

He continued. "And as I was saying earlier, in normal circumstances, you would go straight back to prison to rot, but we're offering an opportunity for the males."

Takumi stayed quiet, fuming silently. He didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"In exchange for revoking your potential imprisonment, we've decided to give people like you a second chance: you can choose to join the Sky Army for a mandatory five years. If not, you can stay in prison for an indefinite amount of time."

"What about bail?" Takumi asked sharply.

General Joo-Doh looked at him disbelievingly. "Bail? You think you can afford it?"

Bail existed in this world too, but it wasn't a common thing to happen for regular civilians. It only existed because nobles and rich merchants wanted to get away with their illegal money laundering business hobbies so they lobbied for a law that allowed a person to buy their freedom from prison. You'd still be stuck under surveillance and have to live under fear of getting caught a second time, but it was much better than wasting away in a cold, filthy stone box. All in all, it was a formalized corruption system that existed for upper class. Buying your escape from prison was expensive, peasants couldn't afford it.

Takumi was a peasant, but the cost of the bail would only put a sizable dent in his money bag. He hadn't spent the last couple years doing nothing, after all; Takumi coins to spare because of all the pickpocketing, fighting, and gambling. He also had the occasional business idea with basic saving habits to give him enough money to feel comfortable. He could pay bail. Takumi wasn't going to waste around in prison or serve the army without being paid, he had medical bills to pay.

"If I can," Takumi emphasized the 'if'. "Do I get to just leave without staying in prison or serving the army?"

General Joo-Doh closed his hanging jaw. "Bail isn't an option."

Takumi rolled his eyes, exasperated at his situation. "I said, _if_ I can, will you just consider the possibility? Or is it too difficult for you imagine that someone else other than a noble or merchant could afford bail?"

In the corner of his view, Takumi saw the captain making the motion to slap him again and bristled.

"I swear, if you touch me a second time, I will get you blacklisted from every brothel in Kuuto so that even a beggar prostitute won't pay you to have sex with her," he snarled.

"Why you-"

"Captain Han, stop," the general said tiredly. The strange threat had humiliated the man, but the captain didn't move any further.

Takumi continued, undeterred by the angry captain standing next to him. "But I know the Sky army could really use some more money, why refuse bail? Isn't the reason why you're forcing army conscriptions because you can't afford to pay all soldiers basic wages?"

The general glared at Takumi's smug tone. Joo-Doh hated that even a commoner was familiar with their kingdom's monetary state of affairs and was using it against him.

It wasn't a big secret that the Kouka was becoming poor, the economy didn't grow in the past few years and business in general has been slowing down. Overall, it meant that there's been a stagnate amount of money in the kingdom's treasury, which, in turn put pressure on properly paying wages for the Sky soldiers. If things remain the way they were for the next few years, money would become a bigger issue for everyone in Kouka.

Getting intel from the captured commoners had been surprisingly tricky, in a way. When General Joo-Doh and the other captains were trying to retrieve any details on other illegal businesses in Kuuto, almost all of the peasants kept a tight lip and answered the bare minimum. The people would only spill the information if the army lightly threatened their safety.

General Joo-Doh wasn't bothered knowing that the commoners cracked under a little pressure. He was bothered by the fact that the peasants were not willingly cooperating with the army in the first place. The army shouldn't have to resort to any form of threats if they wanted answers from their own citizens, but that wasn't the case here. The people of Kuuto wanted to protect their illegal activities, and General Joo-Doh knew it was because those underground businesses were the commoners' livelihood. Kuuto was thriving because of the gambling, the betting, the illegal fights, black markets, and mercenaries.

This was all because Kouka had failed them.

If only Emperor Il would do something about the country's internal affairs, or at least minimize the amount of lavish gifts he would bestow upon his spoiled daughter, General Joo-Doh thought.

However, with or without bail, the general was looking for some talent for the Sky army. When Joo-Doh had been appointed as the new Sky general, he had been sorely disappointed by the lack of ability within the army. All of the other tribes had their own powerhouses: the Fire general's firstborn son was strong in addition to an equally disciplined army; the Water tribe (though extremely passive) had clean-cut soldiers and skilled fighters; the Earth tribe had the (buffoon) General Geun-Te; although Elder Mundok was old, the elder was famed for once standing toe-to-toe with the deceased General Yu-Hon, and his training always produced formidable Wind fighters like the terrifying adopted grandson Hak. It was only the Sky army that was lacking a special something and General Joo-Doh didn't like how the royal family's Sky power seemed small compared to all the other tribes. As a result, Joo-Doh had been hoping to find some reasonably worthy diamonds, if not gems, in the rough while conducting the 'cleanse' of underground illegal activities in Kuuto. So far, he'd found a few, and now the young man sitting before him.

General Joo-Doh was smart to know he didn't understand economy and more begrudgingly, social climates. As the new general who's supposed to take care of Kuuto and be more familiar with the environment, he wanted a soldier who was familiar with the in's and out's of the capital population. Someone who was familiar with the locals, the good and bad people, the pretty and the ugly gossip.

According to the other captured people from the underground rings, this young man, Takumi, was that kind of person. Apparently, he was a well-known man among the underbellies of Kuuto. A popular ring fighter, thief, works for the top brothel of west district, grew up his entire life in the capital, and everyone knew him; the butchers, seamstresses, merchants, carpenters, peddlers, and even the gangsters and prostitutes knew Takumi. General Joo-Doh could use him.

"Bail isn't an option for you. You're under arrest for being directly involved with the underground fighting," the general stated. "You're either going to prison or getting conscripted."

Takumi began massaging the temples of his forehead. "Mister Sky General, sir, let me just get to the bottom of this situation. You say my two options are prison or conscription. I refuse to work for five years without payment. And if I go to prison, I am sure any prison warden will gladly take my bail even if you say it's not an option, because frankly, the army needs the money."

The scar-faced man stared at Takumi. "You would be doing a great honor in serving the Sky Army, you would be responsible for the safety of the capital, your home."

"Nah."

The general persisted. "Do you not care about the future of _your_ kingdom, the well-being of the royal family, the protection of this nation?"

Takumi held up both of his hands, palms facing outwards. "Nothing you say can change my mind."

"What do you mean-"

"I am not emotionally involved enough to care."

The captain and general openly gaped at him. "How could you not care about your own country?"

Takumi scratched his neck. "This is probably going to sound like a huge shocker to those of you who stay up in the castle, but generally, people inside and outside of Kuuto don't exactly care for abstract things like that."

Joo-Doh was quiet, listening to Takumi's words.

"We care about what we're going to eat for today, tomorrow, and the next couple of days. We don't have too much time thinking about the 'well-being of the country' if we can't even take care of ourselves."

"The army would take care of you, even if you're just conscripted. And if you work hard after five years, you could even be promoted and receive pay." The general hoped that the young man before him would be satisfied with the assurance of food and shelter.

Takumi shook his head. "I refuse to work for five years without pay."

Captain Han made a sound of offense. "Such impudence, you expect to get paid after all the crimes you had committed in Kuuto? You should be working to pay off your sins instead."

"What would it take for you to become a soldier?" General Joo-Doh asked carefully. He was curious to hear the young man's demands.

Takumi didn't even have to think. "Seven silver and ten bronze pieces every month. Nothing more, nothing less."

The captain next to him choked. Seven silver and ten bronze coins was exponentially a lot more than what the regular soldier got paid monthly. Takumi was asking for the ridiculous.

But Joo-Doh wasn't deterred. "Why such a specific amount? And what would you use that money for?"

It was the first time he hesitated, Takumi wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell these two men, but he figured he should be honest.

"My ailing mother. She needs medicine and it's not cheap."

The general levelled a heavy stare on Takumi, searching for lies, but couldn't find any tricks in the young man's posture. He seemed genuine.

"Nothing more, nothing less, I see," Joo-Doh muttered to himself. Within another second, the general made a decision that was very much unlike himself.

"If you work for me and prove that you're useful after a few days, I'll make sure your mother gets the medicine she needs," he said and ignored the incredulous look Captain Han shot at him.

Takumi leaned back in his chair as if he was deeply contemplating his options.

No one else would refuse an open invitation to a possibly paid position in the army. It was convenient for Takumi, because he _had_ been looking for a good, legal job. The general was practically begging him to join the Sky army at this point, which Takumi couldn't fathom why the man would want a son of a courtesan.

"Remind me, how old is the princess?"

The random question threw off Joo-Doh, but he answered it regardless. "Twelve years old."

Huh. Maybe he could work two or three years and then leave? Perhaps, but the Sky Army wasn't a job that you could just take up and leave anytime you wanted; men left only out of retirement, treachery, or crippling injuries. Ah, well, Takumi could think of that later. He just needed a job to pay the medical bills and this is the most convenient opportunity so far. He was willing to get close to the Plot for a few years; Takumi would just have to look for another job when the timeline gets close.

"If I'm useful, you promise that I'll get the medicine every month?"

General Joo-Doh nodded firmly. "On my word."

Takumi's shoulders slumped down. "Alright, I accept."

* * *

x

* * *

An hour later, General Joo-Doh sat in his office with Captain Han. They were done with interrogating all of the captured civilians and spending a moment of silence together to take a break for the day.

Takumi was gone for the day and would be returning tomorrow to begin his informal 'trial'.

"General," Captain Han hedged his question cautiously. "May I ask why you're willing to go so far that one boy? His demands were outrageous, to say the least."

That young man wasn't anyone special, not a single drop of noble blood, a pure peasant through and through. For the gods' sake, he was the son of a courtesan, if the rumors were true. And yet, he was getting special treatment; if anyone in the army heard about this, the whole castle would be in uproar.

General Joo-Doh let out a heavy sigh. "I'm hoping that the boy's familiarity with Kuuto will do us some good. If his help is deserving of such money, then I'm willing to invest. Once his mother's condition improves, we won't have to pay for the medicine anymore. But this is all _if_ , if, he is worth it. I trust that you won't tell anyone about this, Captain Han."

The captain straightened his back. "Of course, sir."

* * *

x

* * *

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	8. Leaving the East District

Lol hi.

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x

* * *

The word of Takumi leaving the brothel spread like wildfire.

The news spread even further when fueled by the news that he'd been pulled into working for the Sky Army.

The reactions were mixed. Some expressing deep confusion, others falling into outright rage. But all were concerned, for how could Takumi, a familiar face in Kuuto's illegal world, work for the Sky Army?

Most assumed blackmail was involved, yes, Takumi must have been blackmailed into joining the army. The new general certainly didn't look like a pushover, and the newly appointed military leader would be a plausible explanation for crackdown on all underground activities. Takumi probably wasn't in the army willingly, he would never join _those_ guys.

People talked and chattered ceaselessly, their words swirling all around Takumi. It was hard, ignoring the gossip if you were the center of it all and it was annoying. Everyone wanted to talk to him, prying into his life and reasons. They all wanted answers, as if they deserved to know.

In a way, Takumi supposed, the people deserved to know. He'd been their supposed 'ally' of sorts. Never one to report illegal gambling, taking part of violence himself, lying and stealing just as much as other criminals. Suddenly changing sides without any notice would be understandably alarming. Not many people knew about Yeri's failing health, but the few who did suspected that Yeri was the reason in Takumi's new occupation. The shrewd ones deduced that somehow, Takumi managed to break a deal that paid him enough money, legally, to pay for Yeri's expensive medicine and treatment. There was virtually no other reason for the young man's change. It was well known that outside of the people of his own brothel, Takumi didn't care for many things, including his own health and body. Additionally, almost no one knew about his secret patronage to Mei's orphanage. Takumi had always taken special care in not being seen entering and leaving the orphan district; he'd rather not let the wrong people take note that he had a special spot for children.

Takumi was given three days to organize his life in Kuuto before returning to the Scarlet Palace, to General Joo-Doh. He had a lot to do, so he didn't spare much time listening to what the people said about him. Of course, the first thing he did was tell his mother, the headmatron, and the rest of the brothel about the news. He thought they'd be sad to see him go, perhaps confused as well, but he hadn't exactly expected their excitement, especially his mother's enthusiasm.

"My son is going to be a Sky Army soldier!" Yeri was bragging without shame. "You'll look so good in the uniform, Takumi-"

"The point isn't the uniform," Takumi grumped, put off by the eagerness. Yeri pulled her son's face to her direction with both hands, Takumi giving in to his mother's pushiness easily.

"It's all about the uniform," she said seriously. He shook his head out of his mom's grip. Naturally, his vain mother cared about how he was going to look.

"Men in uniform are the best," she sighed. "You better visit me with your soldier attire, you hear me? I want to see it, my son in military clothes~"

His mother was positively gleaming with excitement. Takumi stared.

"Glad to see you're so happy about it," he muttered. He would have complained more about Yeri's easygoing attitude, but she hadn't looked so lively since she last broke the news of her illness so Takumi let the issue pass. Besides, he lived to make his mother happy. Takumi took one look at the faint bags under her eyes and told himself he wasn't going to put a damper on Yeri's good mood. He wasn't going to stop her excitement over his own pettiness.

The rest of the brothel had a similar reaction, to his dismay.

Joining the Sky Army, how wonderful! They said. We'll miss you, but make us proud! Make sure you get promoted or something so you can get a lot of money, okay? Then you can treat us all to a drink-fest!

Moochers, Takumi thought moodily while navigating Kuuto's walled mazes. They're supposed to beg him not to leave.

He dropped a visit at Mother Teresa's orphanage. And much to Takumi's irritation, Mei was also absolutely pleased hearing that he was going to Hiryuu Castle.

"This is wonderful, Takumi, I'm very happy for you," she said. "Of course, the children will be upset to know they won't be able to see you as often, but I know you'll visit if you have the time."

Takumi did a mild glower before asking for Shouta's whereabouts.

"Shouta? He should be around here," Mei contemplated and turned to a group of nearby children. "Could you dears look for Shouta for me?"

Like a pack of bloodhounds, numerous prepubescent kids scattered, howling for their oldest non-blood related brother, Shouta. Takumi watched the orphans break into groups, efficiently splitting routes and pathways in their district, and he whistled appreciatively. He had drilled into them to use their heads, but the orphans had memorized Kuuto's pathways all on their own.

Shouta showed up in less than ten minutes, chest heaving from the rush.

"Takumi?" The boy nearly shouted hysterically. "You're alive?"

Takumi raised a hand, his tone perfectly level. "'Sup, kid. I'm not dead."

The dirty rust haired boy broke into tears on the spot, trying to hide the waterworks behind arms.

"Everyone, look, look! Shouta's crying! He's crying!" The surrounding orphans teased lightly, running circles around him.

"Sh-shaddup," he blubbered. "I'm not c-cryin'!"

Takumi went over and squatted in front of the boy, patting his head.

"Hey, what's with the tears, you didn't want to see me?"

Shouta's vigorously shook his head and hiccuped. "B-because, I-I thought that i-it was all m-my fault that you got caught, and y-you were going to g-get k-k-killed, a-and now you h-have to go the army-"

Takumi fondly smiled and tugged Shouta closer into a hug, stroking his hair.

"I'd do it again, Shouta, so don't think I regret it or anything, got it?"

The boy wailed even more at those words, inciting giggles from the little onlookers. Takumi grimaced when he felt a wetness seeping through his clothes onto his shoulder.

To his credit, Shouta managed to suppress the tears quickly, having an adorably red face in the end. Takumi used his sleeve to wipe away the remaining water streaks.

"But, since I'm not going to be around anymore, I need you to be the big brother, okay?" Takumi said gently. "You're going to have to step it up."

Shouta nodded, eyes red and puffy, but his mouth fixed in determination.

Shooing the other children away for some privacy, Takumi straightened and crossed his arms. He was serious mode now. "Alright, Shouta, listen carefully to what I'm about to say. It's important and there's a lot of information that you'll have to memorize. I want you to tell Ogi and you can't tell him that it was from me. He'll suspect it, but you can't confirm anything. And you can't tell Mei-sensei what I'm about to say."

The boy copied his movement, straightening his back and also crossing his arms. "I'm listening."

"The Sky Army is certainly tracking down illegal businesses in Kuuto and they're trying to re-enforce the old laws-"

Shouta snorted at that. Takumi pointedly ignored the kid's disregard of authority.

"So let's say that by the end of this year, all the gambling houses are going to be taken down-"

" _All_ of them?" Shouta cut in disbelievingly. "Even Choo-Suk's tea house?"

"Even Choo-Suk's tea house," Takumi repeated. "Every single one, even the hidden ones-"

"But-"

"No more interruptions, also, the military's city map of Kuuto is going to be updated so that they can navigate up to the third outer layer of Kuuto, the straw-based walls, are you following me?"

Takumi continued on with the boy's understanding, giving a timeline of what was going to change in the future, give or take with a number of alterations. Closing off and opening certain trading routes, merchant tolls, mercenary groups, black market flows, army patrols, possible taxations, and other miscellaneous factors that would affect the people of Kuuto socially, financially, and economically. Shouta felt overwhelmed by the onslaught of information, but he stubbornly memorized every single word Takumi said.

"Make sure to tell Ogi that certain things might change and nothing is fixed permanently, and also don't get hurt, and avoid the usual people so-"

Shouta impatiently brushed off the worry, "I won't get beat up, I know, I promise. For real, this time. I'll be careful."

Takumi's face softened at that. "And feel free to team up with your brothers and sisters. Don't burden yourself with it all alone."

"I won't."

Takumi lightly tugged on Shouta's hair. "Brat. Trying to act grown up already."

"I am grown up," he said with a pout.

Before he left the orphan district discreetly, Takumi made sure to bring a few orphans to the side, out of Shouta's sight.

"Take care of your older brother, Shouta, 'kay?" he asked them.

They all cheekily grinned. "Don' worry, 'Kumi, we all will."

Takumi smiled back, his heart swelling. He didn't need to look after the kids anymore. They had Mother Theresa and Shouta. He only needed to make sure they stay safe now.

He hoped it wouldn't be too long until he could see them again.

"Oh, and before I forget."

Takumi rummaged through his pockets, producing a large glass bottle of herb oil.

"Give it to Mei-sensei, she needs to take care of her hands."

* * *

x

* * *

As Ming walked through the airy halls of the Scarlet Palace, the maidservant saw how the other girls were chattering more than usual this morning.

Ming was a simple palace maid. She did as she was told and did her best to avoid being scolded by the head maid. She did the laundry, cleaned the palace courts, tidied the hallways and chambers, ate her meals, prepared dining rooms, and followed orders. Ming liked the simple and ordinary life of having food to eat and a roof over her head as she slept. If there was a commotion, that usually meant that there was a chance her quiet life as a palace maid would be disrupted. It was much wiser to hope for normalcy, than to pursue spontaneity, in her humble opinion.

Ming walked up to the girls and asked one of her peers, "What's going on?"

"Ah, Ming, did you just wake up? There's a new soldier joining the Sky army, we saw him walk by just now," her friend Yujin said. Yujin and several girls were peering around a corner, as if trying to catch a glimpse of something.

The maidservant frowned. "Soldiers join the Sky army all the time, I don't see why that's worth talking about."

Yujin waved her hands behind her. "No, no, that's not the special part! He was following the Sky general!"

Another maid girl jumped in, "And my brother in the fifth squad said that there are rumors that General Joo-Doh took special interest in one of the new peasant recruits, we think it was the man who walked by!"

Ming scratched her face. "I suppose that's a big deal…"

New soldiers seldom received any attention unless they were from noble families, so hearing about a commoner catching the attention of a general was special.

"It helps that he's also good-looking," her fellow maidservants giggled.

Ming had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Of course her friends were also concerned about that.

"Okay, we should head over to the warehouse before the head maid lectures us for being late to report," she said, keeping the exasperation out of her voice.

Yujin pleaded, "Wait, we just want to catch one more look at him, he should be-"

" _They're coming_ ," a girl hissed.

The maidservants scrambled away from their peeping spot, trying to act normal as heavy footsteps came closer. Ming got shuffled around by the aggressive girls, grunting as she felt an elbow digging into her ribs, and then she found herself being shoved forward. In a panic, Ming clambered back to her feet and ran to hide behind the rest of the servants, her face burning in embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" A surprisingly gentle voice spoke to her.

Ming's eyes were glued to her feet as she mutely nodded, wishing that she wouldn't draw any more attention to herself than already done.

As two people passed by, the maidservant lifted her eyes at them and saw the stranger who couldn't be any older than herself. Seventeen, perhaps eighteen years old, with ink black hair. He looked young and was sort of pretty, she could spy piercings on his upper left ear, two holes exactly and absent of actual earrings.

The stranger gave a charming smile before waving goodbye to Ming and the other maidservants.

"If you're done flirting, let's go."

The rough comment broke Ming out of her daze, forcing her to notice the intimidating Sky General Joo-Doh standing at the side.

Ming stared back and none of the girls spoke a word until the general and the stranger disappeared from sight.

"Oh my gods, that was him!" Yujin squealed and grabbed her shocked friend's arm. "Ming, did you see how he smiled? He's sooo cute-"

* * *

x

* * *

Once they were out of earshot of the palace maids, Takumi folded his hands behind his head.

"General Joo-Doh, no offense, but you need to get laid."

The older man stiffened at the casual mention of sex.

"You will not speak to me that way." He sounded strangled.

Takumi made a noncommittal sound. He was only trying to figure out Joo-Doh, seeing which buttons triggered the man.

There were a lot of fun buttons.

Takumi was so much more of an anomaly and a handful than General Joo-Doh had anticipated. The kid was everything that didn't fit in with the sophistication of the inner palace; he had sleazy eyes, a flirty tone that was just unacceptable, an easy going attitude, improper piercings in his ears, and flashy clothes that screamed of belonging in the red lights district of Kuuto. The seventeen year old kid looked like he was a _gigolo_ , for goodness' sake, though Joo-Doh had decided against asking the boy about it; he didn't want to know. The brat also had absolutely no regard for authority or decorum, but Joo-Doh was determined to beat that into his skull in the near future.

The only reason why the Sky general put up with it all was because Takumi went above and beyond all expectations. Earlier that morning, Joo-Doh had brought Takumi to the captain in charge of organizing patrols for the month as a first 'trial', and the young man had passed it with flying colors. More than flying colors.

The kid was smart, General Joo-Doh begrudgingly thought. A snotty, arrogant prick, but smart.

"I can't believe you guys didn't know that the White Fang mercenaries have been doing business in Kuuto all this time," Takumi mused. "It's why the entire merchant's road down to the southern border never had issues with travel safety. People hire them all the time."

Joo-Doh wanted to groan.

"But I wouldn't kick them out any time soon, the southern border needs the mercenaries for the time being whether you like it or not. The Sky Army doesn't have the resources to re-set up bases and expend soldiers there. And no wonder Old Man Yang was able to run his gambling house until when you raided it, everyone assumed that Yang bribed Sky soldiers, but it turns out you guys didn't even know that alley existed. Man, everyone back in town is going to flip, we all thought Yang was the sneakiest grandpa around. By the way, the eastern district on your map is outdated."

The Sky general could feel his pride as a military man shrinking a little inside his heart.

"Oh, and did you know that more gambling houses popped up after Yang's got taken down? Ha, of course you didn't, also, I didn't mention this in front of your captain because it seemed like he was on the verge of exploding-"

Captain Jang was a man of patience, but even the seasoned military man could barely hold himself together as Takumi had pointed out the multiple flaws in their security patrol layout and scheduling. General Joo-Doh had to keep his jaw from hanging loose and force himself to not be shaken by how much they hadn't known about Kuuto. If Takumi had said one more thing about the severe lack of security, Captain Jang would have broken down in hysterics.

"-but there's a lot of hidden entrances along the north eastern walls that people use to smuggle things. You don't have to worry too much about it though, it's just normal black market stuff. No one's getting hurt, y'know, badly. It's mostly luxury goods because people just don't want to pay the ridiculous taxes," the teenager said in an off-hand manner. "Which brings me to my question, I was wondering, which dumb idiot thought of our current tax system? Can I fix that too while I'm here?"

That last part made something inside Joo-Doh crumple. The Sky general pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Kid, you're kind of a piece of shit, you know that, right?"

Takumi whistled. "I know, but you guys suck at running the country. It's laughable. I knew it was bad, but I didn't think it was _this_ bad. Hey, while I'm here, you should just let me take control of everything."

The kid snickered to himself while the general frowned at the self-declared righteous attitude of taking the throne. That kind of stance bordered on treachery so he wasn't going to let it go easily. However, General Joo-Doh decided to not respond to the remark about the lack of ability running the country. The comment had stung, but it was... true.

"Is it alright to reveal so much about Kuuto's illegal activities? Won't the people hate you for it?"

The Sky general knew that everything Takumi had mentioned earlier was not information that came cheap. It was valuable and people would be willing to take revenge on him for revealing what he had just told them this morning.

Takumi blithely asked, "Am I going to get paid?"

"Yes." It was without question. If Takumi could continue assisting them like this for the months to come, then yes, General Joo-Doh was willing to put up with this smartass kid.

"Ah, so I get to work for you and get paid? I proved my usefulness?"

Joo-Doh grinded his teeth. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"For as long as you prove your usefulness."

Takumi gave the Sky general an inscrutable, heavy stare. Joo-Doh had to uncomfortably note that the kid's eyes were sharp behind all the snark.

"Then yeah, I don't care what the people of Kuuto think as long as I get my mom's medicine."

The two of them reached the entrance of the Sky soldier barracks. It was still bustling since all soldiers were getting washing up and getting ready for their morning duties.

The general paused for a moment before opening the door. "You seem deeply protective of your mother."

There was no hesitation on Takumi's part. "Yes."

* * *

x

* * *

It's scrappy, it's not smooth, but I'm gonna put it out here.


End file.
